


Skein: Crimson Yarn

by UsagiSquared



Series: Skein [4]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Female Seto Kaiba in other words, Gender or Sex Swap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-25
Updated: 2019-07-03
Packaged: 2020-03-17 08:08:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 165,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18961270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UsagiSquared/pseuds/UsagiSquared
Summary: Part 4 of Skein - Covers the Legendary Heroes, The Girl from America, and the D-D-D Arc, with ExtrasWith Pegasus defeated, and the Holidays over, it isn't too much to want peace. But the Big 5 are still a thorn in Seto's side, and there are others in line with bones to pick- and not just with the CEO.It would be a lot easier to deal with, Jonouchi feels, if he didn't think he was seeing the future.





	1. Red Skies At Morning

After the events of Christmas things had settled into a mostly regular routine. She and Jonouchi went their mostly separate ways after the holidays passed, with the blond heading to school during the week and work on the weekends while she herself spent as many possible waking hours in her office. And in any spare time that there might have been, time was either spent with Mokuba or on more work.

 

None of which she spent within Jonouchi's proximity, for obvious reasons. There were of course exceptions to this; Mokuba's first riding lesson was one large example, and despite the fact that she personally didn't see the appeal of horseback riding she did have to admit one thing. He was having fun out there from what she saw, even with the number of times he'd been reminded to sit up straight as the horse he sat on slowly trotted in a circle. Reminders to sit up and down filled the air as she watched that first lesson, and from what Mokuba said after his further ones, the enjoyment didn't change.

 

...She still didn't see much point in the 'sport' though. Other exceptions seemed to be few and far between thankfully. New years had come and gone, with the moronic blond narrowly catching himself before calling her by her first name... Again. And again. And again. She swore it, if the blond didn't have a place in her brother's heart for some bizarre reason the moron would have been kicked out of the house at the very least with nothing in his possession. The only point in his favor was that he seemed to be making at least an increased effort not to use the term, though now that the holidays were over she really couldn't tell how much better that was going.

 

Reassuring herself that Jonouchi was the only one who 'knew' to say the least, was probably the only thing that told her he was likely to continue the correction. So really, whether or not that effort was running well... It was probably doing better than her work was, she acknowledged. Despite all designs she'd been working on, despite prototypes of her secondary duel disk already in development, there was no doubt in her mind that her job had seen far better days than these recent ones. For the past two weeks now, despite the substantial evidence that whatever 'game' the board of directors were working on had since been completed, she'd been blackballed completely with excuses that there were minute glitches that needed to be repaired, electrical errors that had to be looked over, that it simply was not ready, and if she heard another word she would-

 

"Ne-Nii-sama," her brother asked hesitantly from the side, leaning on the desk somewhat. The woman looked up from her papers, blinking. Normally, having Mokuba in the office would be a fairly rare occurrence considering their past struggles; not to mention he had school, and unlike herself Mokuba was legally bound to his classes. For today however, apparently his school had some sort of 'bring your kid to work' thing in effect- something Mokuba saw fit to surprise her with- and given the obvious lack of parents, she was the next best choice to hang around the office with for the working hours. As to when the boredom would get to him...

 

It already had, and she could tell.

 

"Nii-sama," the boy said again, frowning as his sister closed over what she had been working on. "Are you alright..?"

 

The papers were placed to the side, the woman blinking yet again. Hn? Why ask that? Was there anything that clearly said she wasn't? ...Besides maybe the steady scowl she had whenever she looked over the board's latest reports on their 'progress'? Personally she was surprised they were able to create anything even resembling an 'MMORPG' from Duel Monsters; there was a fairly large gap to bridge between card games and 'sword-shield' style battling, and to do so without creating something either completely pointless or something that was duel monsters 'in name only' should have been nigh impossible. For them, anyway.

 

Nonetheless, that was apparently what they were doing... And damn it, enough was enough she was going over there to see what the hell was taking so long. She pushed her chair back from the desk, standing up from her seat. "I'm fine," she said somewhat testily, before looking to her brother with an odd expression. "What about you?"

 

The boy shrugged, standing up himself as the woman moved over to the door. "I'm alright," he said, holding his hands back behind his head. "I just didn't think your job was so..."

 

"Boring?" she asked with a raised eyebrow, smirking as her brother gave a sheepish shrug. Hn! That was because there wasn't anything for him to do!

 

...Hah...

 

She shook her head, moving to hold the door open as they both walked out. "I suppose you would see it that way," she muttered, letting the door shut as Mokuba walked out into the room. "I'll tell you what," she continued, the pair passing by the secretary and toward the elevator. "How about we both do something a little more than simply design and management today?"

 

Mokuba looked up as his sister tapped the elevator button, blinking. "Hn... But what else do you do other than that?" he asked, following the woman into the elevator before watching as she pushed the button for the next floor down.

 

"Not much," she admitted, the elevator doors remaining closed only for an instant as they stopped at the second highest level of the building. Oh, definitely not much outside a battery of beta tests for a soon to be released product. Like hell she'd let anything out on the market before that after all. The two walked out of the elevator, moving through the spacious hall toward what looked to be a board room.

 

"However," Seto continued, knowing full well that the board had effectively relinquished their offices in order to appear 'busy' in recent times, "I think it's time we convince a few morons under my hire just why they're still here..."

 

The door opened inward, five middle to late aged men turning from where they sat at a large table. "Seto-sama," Daimon said from the center, the group standing up briefly to bow their heads in 'respect'. Normally the right thing to do would be bow back but... Quite personally they could all go to hell for what she cared. "...And Mokuba-sama," the man added seemingly as an after thought, both Kaiba siblings sneering somewhat in response. Sounded almost as though that had been tacked on, now why would that be... "Would you care to take a seat?" he 'asked', despite likely knowing the answer already.

 

Seto merely crossed her arms as they stood there, her eyes narrowed. "Unfortunately," she 'admitted with a frown, "There are a number of things I still need to deal with, so I'll only be a moment..." The mostly hidden look of distaste on her face increased, eyes narrowing further "I'd rather not waste any time..."

 

The men nodded, taking their seats once more without skipping a single beat. "In that case," muttered Oshita, the grey haired man folding his hands over in front of him, "What brings you in here Seto-sama?" Yes, a very good question, wasn't it?

 

She continued to glare, grip on her arms tightening while she held back a growl. "It's about your 'adventure game'," she stated, gauging the board's reactions. Not a single wince, clench, grimace... "Given previous 'findings'," the woman continued, "You should have long since had a full copy of the game prepared for the final test run. However," the woman continued, Mokuba mirroring her expression from beside her, "You're instead sitting here, claiming otherwise... Regardless of the fact that not only do I have evidence of not one but five completed 'Virtual Reality pods' to run the program, but that you have already hired a civilian to test the program... Without my knowledge," she added darkly, growl forming in the back of her throat. "I don't think you need to ask just how disgusted I am by your actions, which you apparently have no problems with doing despite how unbelievably lucky you are to still be here after your stunt during my absence."

 

Though given her tone, it was more than clear as to how little luck had anything to do with it- and she was aware.

 

"You are going to show me that game," Seto demanded with a growl, eyes narrowed into slits. "And you are going to allow me to test it completely, within this current day, before you can clean out your desks and leave... Understand?" The board turned to themselves, sharing a number of odd glances for a moment. Silent stares were exchanged and a number of them appeared to look to Oka and Ota in particular before the latter coughed and turned forward.

 

"Well," the technical expert stated, Oka nodding from beside him with an odd gleam in his eyes. "How appropriate of you to ask that just now," he continued, smirking. "In fact," he added almost darkly, the others nodding in agreement, "One might almost call it convenient..."

 

Otaki nodded as well, arms crossed. "Very convenient," he continued with a 'smile'. "We just recently finished with the last of the bugs in the system... As a matter of fact," he added with a somewhat smug grunt as he leaned back against his chair, "We were about to call you down to tell you this!"

 

"Hn..." Seto snorted somewhat, expression unchanged. Oh yes. 'Very' convenient. There were clearly all rushing for the phone when she'd come in. "I see," she muttered, staring the board down. Still no reactions... And that was never good. "You five seem oddly eager to leave this building," she eventually said, watching as Daimon pulled out a thick pile of bound papers from the side. "Given that whether this program is approved or disapproved you'll be leaving your employment here regardless."

 

The five merely turned to the woman, either smiling oddly, or simply frowning in the case of Oshita. "Yes, well," the aged man stated with a low grumble, "You yourself seem oddly eager to be rid of us after all," he said with a growl.

 

Mokuba grit his teeth at the words, scowling as he attempted to stare the men down himself. "And for a good reason!" he shouted, the board turning to the boy with mild if not possibly non-existent glares. "After all, thanks to what you did, Pegasus almost killed us both!" ...One way to put it, that was for sure.

 

There was a small round of awkward coughs with the accusation, Oshita merely nodding his head somewhat in response. "Yes... Well. That is unfortunate," he stated, both siblings before him clenching their fists at the words. Well, he sounded so genuine about it now didn't he? "But you must understand," he protested, a faux look of scowling worry on his face. "We had no idea that he would attempt such a terrible thing! Believe us when we say this!" Bullshit. This was complete bullshit. And still they went on, regardless of the fact that they all knew it was a lie...

 

"This is correct," Oka stated, adjusting his glasses and leaning forward slightly. "Our deal to create a merger with Industrial Illusions before your return was only to save the failing stock, there was never any foul play intended..." No foul play what so ever hn? She would believe that when the mutt had a PhD- and taught the classes.

 

And still it went on. "In fact," added Daimon, smirking oddly as he spoke, "Why not let your opinion on the game decide our fates?" Hn? Seto raised an eyebrow at that, listening. They were actually saying that out loud regardless of the fact that she would sooner believe what Oka's last words had just been? If she didn't think there was something else going on before...

 

This was enough to send sirens on a rampage.

 

"Perhaps our work will be enough to prove to you our loyalty," he continued, standing up to hand Seto the large binder he'd pulled out. The woman took it, narrowed eyes looking over the blank white cover for a moment. "What do you say?" the man asked with a smirk. "If you don't like the game, if it's such a terrible investment and we've wasted all our time, then we'll leave... If not," he added, Seto merely putting the book under her arms as she crossed them, "Then we remain in your employ..."

 

The woman snorted, narrowing her eyes. "Tch! I believe I am the one who decides that," she stated with a growl before turning. Leave the people who tried to kill her brother under employment, what kind of moron did they thing she was. ...Though despite their position, they could certainly be doing worse, she realized with a mental jolt. "...We'll see how this test goes," she 'decided', before leaving the room with Mokuba. Basement floor two of the research division wasn't it?

 

The button was pushed and a moment later elevator doors opened, Seto and Mokuba both walking in and watching the doors close behind them. She pushed the button, Mokuba watching with a confused frown as his sister stared out the glass wall of the elevator back. "N-Nii-sama," he said as he bit his lip, the woman beside him merely flipping through the first few pages of the binder. "Nii-sama, doesn't this seem a little bit... Erm..."

 

"Dangerous?" she asked, turning to look at the boy. There was a reason she was looking through this book, and it wasn't just 'for kicks'. "Trust me," the woman said with a growl, continuing to look out the back of the elevator. "If it wasn't for a few very well written forms I found on my desk the first time I attempted to fire these morons, they would be long gone..."

 

As it was they were being extremely stubborn about the only other option. Her eyes narrowed further with those thoughts, the binder closed with a snap as they came to the second basement floor. A smooth and quick ride...

 

Hopefully the 'game' would run just as well. "Either way," she stated, the doors sliding open before them, "It's either I 'test' their game, or we're stuck with them and whatever other stupid attempts to cause problems that they might have at their disposal..." Her eyes narrowed with that, the woman walking out of the elevator with Mokuba at her side. "And there are a large number of more 'permanent' ways they can try to deal with us," she muttered somewhat quieter as they made their way down the hall, knuckles growing white as she gripped the binder under her arm. Far too many ways for her to risk ticking them off further, despite all of her own power. It didn't take much for a thorn in a person's side to cause pain.

 

Mokuba frowned, swallowing nervously as they walked down the mostly dark hallway toward the research section of the building. He knew full well what 'permanent' meant. "Then," he asked quietly, the only other sound in the hall being their footsteps. "Then what's going to happen to you?" he finally said, the boy looking up with a worried expression. "If there's something wrong with this... If...I mean..." Mokuba shook his head, choking somewhat. "It's supposed to directly connect to your spine," he protested, eyes wide. "If even the smallest thing goes wrong, even the smallest thing, what happens if you... If you..."

 

"I won't die," she said with a tense growl, eyes not once turning back to her brother as she cut the boy off. There was a small span of silence, footsteps echoing through the air. "You have my word on that," the woman continued at a softer tone, looking down at her brother. "I won't lose this game." The two stopped as they came to the room that the board had cited as their 'development' room, a typical 'identityless' and thick set guard turning to them as they approached. It was one of three rooms that the board had taken; and home to the second of the 'single' pods that were to undergo testing.

 

"Seto-sama," the guard stated with a bow, before punching a few numbers into the pad on the door's side to let the two in. 2, 5, 2, 2... She blinked, quickly recognizing the code as that of Pegasus' own. Funny how that worked. The memory played in the back of her mind, and quietly she ran through the details. Those numbers, what did they spell out...

 

Her thoughts were cut short as the guard spoke again, Mokuba walking into the room ahead of them.

 

"Should I prepare the computer for you?" he asked, nodding over to the large 'control center' that sat at the side of the pod.

 

Seto shook her head, walking past the man and examining the room. "That won't be necessary," she stated, briefly looking to her brother as the boy looked around the immense room as well. Computers, equipment, even boxes filled with spare parts littered the room, the only truly clear area being that of the space around the pod and behind the 'control center' itself. "Mokuba should be able to handle the controls perfectly well with the instructions we've been provided with," she continued, turning to the guard with somewhat narrowed eyes. "...You can leave now," she added darkly, the guard nodding nervously and doing just that. Good.

 

One less problem to deal with. Now then... Seto looked back at the 'pod' in the center of the room, idly listening as the door shut behind her with a series of clicking gears. "Nnn... N-Nii-sama," Mokuba said nervously, looking at the pod as well before turning back to his sister. "Are you sure there isn't another way to do this, so that maybe... Well..."

 

"I'll be fine," the woman said with a small nod, cutting her brother off once again. Stop reminding her of the risks... She'd win despite them, just stop reminding her. "I told you that much, didn't I?" Seto turned to her brother, before handing him the binder and moving toward the pod with a mostly stone glare. "I'm going to beat the living hell out of these morons when I'm through with this," she muttered, looking over the pod before turning back to Mokuba. It was already open. According to the book, the device would close in on whoever sat in it automatically, with the rest of the device controlled by the attached computer...

 

Because, that was just so comforting, and helped the already tense situation so much, given how well she knew about the connections this thing had. Numbers were running through her head again, in a failed attempt to calm herself down...

 

2, 5, 2, 2, 8... Ah...

 

Her eyes widened slightly as the numbers clicked into place, a single word coming to mind. Perhaps it was just her comparing this situation to an equally hopeless location, but even so... "Mokuba," Seto stated as she prepared to sit in the pod, turning as the boy looked up from the binder. "Before I go under," she continued, sitting partially on the seat in the pod, "The code to this room and the other systems is 'Alcatraz', understand?" Mokuba blinked, before following Seto's minute gaze over to the camera and nodding. While their wasn't any audio, she wasn't taking any chances that the room wasn't bugged. The look on her brother's face told her that he understood the situation however, and she nodded as well. Good...

 

He got it then. She just hoped he knew the proper conversion of numbers. The woman leaned back in the seat, tensing only slightly as a large headpiece settled over and around her skull, tinted class hiding most of her face from view as steel encompassed her ears and head. Thick cushioned metal revolved from behind her to secure her shoulders into place, preventing her upper body from moving out of the seat. The glass from the above pod began to close over as the device locked her into place, and the pod itself was slowly turning toward the control center as Mokuba made his way to it and looked through the binder in his hands for instructions on the device itself.

 

A computerized voice came seemingly from nowhere as she sat there, a small drawer coming out just under her fingertips as it spoke. ' _Please place your deck in the drawer,_ ' the voice stated, Seto moving her arm up to pull the deck out of her breast pocket. Since coming back from the Duelist kingdom, it remained in that pocket and it would go no where else; if it had been so easily stolen before, when it was hidden away... Well. That wouldn't happen anymore, now would it? She stretched her arm slightly to hold the cards over the drawer, dropping the deck in and watching as the device retracted into the seat arm with a small click. The glass above her had come into place as well, rendering the entire pod claustrophobically silent as she looked at her brother through the glass. Mokuba was saying something from the other side of the pod...

 

She couldn't hear him, but she had a feeling she knew what he was saying given the expression on his face. _'Nee-sama,'_ he was saying under his breath, eyes wide with worry. ' _Please be alright..._ '. "I'll be fine," she shouted somewhat, expression unseen behind the thick glass of the 'helmet' around her head. He probably still couldn't hear her... But even so, she would say it. "No matter what, I will win," she continued, nodding as much as the machine would allow. "Start the game!" Though she couldn't hear the answer, she was able to see as the boy pulled a large switch before him. It took both his hands but it was pulled down, a barely audible click coming from outside the pod.

 

The screens behind Mokuba flashed in response to the action, and again the computerized voice echoed around her in greeting. ' _The Game will now begin,'_ it stated 'calmly'. ' _Please remain still, and try to relax._ ' Relax? Hn! Because being put into the equivalent of a literal 'death trap' was relaxing...

 

As lights passed through the helmet the woman closed her eyes. Something was pushing against the back of her neck, and on her forehead... Something cold, but abruptly the sensation vanished along

with the rest of her senses. It was time...

 

Time to see how much work had gone into this 'trap', and into this game. Lights continued to fill into a blur despite the fact that her eyes were closed, lines of code streaming past her eyes and soon enough... The game had begun.

 

* * *

 

There was nothing but darkness when she opened her eyes, or at least when she believed that she had. Her mind and body thought she had, but she knew for a fact that if she had actually opened her eyes she would have seen nothing but glass and her little brother.

 

And thus, the ability to cut off all her sensations and replace them with something else was more than proven 'successful' for the virtual reality world. Seto blinked a few times, looking around the empty space with a frown. Regardless of cutting her senses off however, this place... There was nothing above, beside, below. Nothing at all. She felt almost like she was floating through a thick cloud of smoke or smog, and yet she was having no troubles breathing whatsoever. At least, that was what her mind told her. Darkness...

 

For all she knew there was nothing but darkness...

 

She looked down at herself, breath catching in her throat as her eyes widened. Despite the darkness, she could easily see _herself_. "G- Where the hell are my clothes?" She didn't even look like 'herself' so to speak; it was more as though she was made of 'light' or some ridiculous other medium. What the hell was this? The closest thing she could call it was glowing, but that? Glowing? Hah! Nonetheless, this machine was already posing a threat, so easily stripping her down to her bare identity in this way. Who was to say that the board themselves wouldn't have access to that information, ready and more than willing to turn it against her?

 

' _Greetings,_ ' a voice called from above, Seto tensing slightly and turning upward toward the voice. The computer, it seemed. ' _Welcome to 'Duel Monster Quest' version 0.10_ , ' it stated 'cheerily', before continuing on. ' _Please pay close attention to the instructions given._ ' The woman merely stared, a frown on her face as the voice continued. Instructions... Hn. ' _A number of questions will be asked,_ ' it continued with its emotionless cheer, Seto crossing her arms in response. ' _Please answer them honestly._ '

 

Only if they didn't concern herself, how was that? And even then...

 

' _First,_ ' the voice began, Seto listening only slightly as it spoke. ' _Decide on your name please.'_ Name? Hn. "'Kai'," she stated calmly, deciding to stick with her arcade initials to keep things simple. No letter limits, no problems with pronunciation...

 

' _Thank you,_ ' the voice said, its subject snorting somewhat in response. Programmed politeness... How contradictory. Though at least a program was still readable. ' _Next,_ ' the voice continued as expected, _'Decide on one of the following battle classes._ ' Classes? She raised her eyebrows as what appeared to be floating panels depicting fighting men and woman floated up around her, hovering in place. Well. So this would be more than just cards. Interesting she would admit, looking over the panel before her as a description hovered beside it. Even so...

 

She moved her hand, watching as the panels 'scrolled' before her with somewhat raised eyebrows. Hnn... This was a nice little touch, wasn't it? And it seemed her choices were... Warrior, White Mage, Black Mage, Archer... Summoner, Thief, Monk... She paused on the one following the last, skimming over the description. Hn...

 

While the 'stat growth' would never be quite as high as the classes it borrowed skills from, this class seemed to trade the role of mastery for more diverse coverage of ability. And given that she didn't know what sorts of advantages or disadvantages either 'skill set' would have, the balance could very well be required to make it through the testing stage- much as she'd prefer a guaranteed powerhouse. 'Red Mage'; she'd have 'magic' (however the hell that would work out) and a sword both, from what the description said. Far better than just relying on one or the other while going in blind, though she would have to see how that worked in itself. She tapped the panel with slight hesitation, watching as the others around it abruptly vanished from sight while leaving the 'Red Mage' intact. Hnn...

 

Interesting. ' _Thank you,_ ' the voice stated again, Seto looking up briefly as it continued. ' _Now,_ ' it asked, _'Please decide on your initial armor.'_ That wasn't decided with the class? The woman watched as three sets of armor appeared from the panel, the 'Red Mage' vanishing in its place as the three hovered before her. Ahh... This was why; due to the 'jack-of-all-trades' status, she had the option of either form of armor. Cloth, leather, or metal. Hn... The woman frowned, looking over her options.

 

If the computer had detected and revealed her actual sex, she would need to be careful with her choices. For now there was probably just a blank screen on the 'outside world'; there was no way after all, that the board would dare to possibly reveal a nude player on-screen. Aside from the hope that they would have at least some standards, it would be a grand way to get the game torn off the market. But who was to say that whatever appeared on the screen after this, when the game itself began, wouldn't do that just as well? Who was to say what would appear on those screens for anyone watching to see? Tight-fitting metal armor was out of the question, given the likely result she would gain- and she had seen enough games in her time to know that it would indeed be 'tight fitting'. Aesthetic always seemed to overrule the idea of historic accuracy these days.

 

The same with a number of the cloth ones it would seem, given how they were somewhat tightly wrapped to the models on the panels... Leather, however. "This one," she muttered, choosing what looked to be a mix of cloth and leather with a small nod. Neither tight fitting nor too flimsy to stand against whatever the hell would be attacking in this game. Beside the layers of clothing however, the cloak should hide the rest of her from view, provided it remained closed at all times. Now then.

 

_'Thank you,_ ' the voice stated on cue, sounding almost like a broken record to the woman below. _'Please listen carefully to the following instructions,_ ' it continued, Seto in the meantime watching with slightly shocked curiosity as the armor she'd picked appeared over top of her body. Leather and cloth had simply misted into existence, the feeling of the cloth rubbing against her skin as it weighed her down. Hnn... She flexed her fingers, testing the mobility she had with the gloves she was now wearing. Not bad. Though... Why was it red, she'd have thought white at the very most or-

 

Right. Red mage. Never mind that then. She turned her attention back to the voice, crossing her arms as she continued to 'float' in the darkness. ' _Each player begins with 2000 lifepoints_ ,' the voice explained calmly, continuing on. ' _For each monster summoned, half of the monster's attack will be deducted from your lifepoints_.' W-What? What? Since when did summoning require- _'Spells and traps as well require lifepoints, their number depending on skill-level and power-level both.'_ She grit her teeth, nonetheless listening. Alright. That wasn't too bad...

 

But since when did summoning or setting a card require that? ' _In order to gain lifepoints,_ ' the computer added, seemingly unaware of its subject's current scowl, ' _Monsters must be defeated. For each monster you defeat, its attack points will be added to your lifepoint count. Money and experience for use in skills will be earned in addition to this from single attacks. However,_ ' the voice warned, Seto narrowing her eyes in response. ' _You will not gain experience from attacks inflicted by a summoned monster.'_ Hnnn. So in other words, it was a form of 'easy way, hard way'. Summon cards to end a battle quick and risk it all, or simply fight without the cards for a larger prize. ' _During battle_ ,' the voice went on, pulling Seto's attention back up once more, ' _Only one card may be drawn to start. The option to draw a second card will be given in the event that the opposing monster is either stunned or otherwise incapacitated,_ ' it added, 'pausing' for a moment. ' _Alternatively,_ ' it added a split second afterwards, ' _Spells allowing new draws may be used. However, please keep in mind,_ ' the voice warned, ' _That there is a limit of seven cards per player. All cards drawn beyond the limit will be destroyed immediately._ ' Alright then...

 

The same rules as the game itself in that case, so she could live with that. The destruction of the cards was new, but it mirrored the discard system well enough. ' _Lastly,_ ' the voice stated, Seto bringing her hands to her side as she waited, ' _Once all lifepoints have been lost, the game will be over. The option to quit the game or continue from a previous point will be offered_.' Would it now? So then there was a fail-safe against actually 'dying' in this place then. ...Though she had considerable doubts that this voice was telling the truth in her specific case, given who programmed it. _'Thank you for your time,_ ' the computer said 'calmly', an odd sensation filling Seto's body with the words. ' _We will now begin the game.'_ Alright then. And how would-

 

Seto froze, watching as the blackness below abruptly cleared to reveal the far off ground. The tops of the trees were so far off that she could see the thin space between each one, the small clearings that appeared. In the distance far to the north of the wood was a desert, and beyond that a wall of sand. Before the desert there sat a single withered patch of land, which brought her attention back to the trees below as the details on their tops became clearer. Falling. She was falling, and yet all the same she wasn't... It was more like the 'board' so to speak was coming to her. The trees below were drawing closer, and yet as she drew close she couldn't feel too bothered by that fact- she wasn't falling after all.

 

She was perfectly fine. She reached the ground, eyes closed briefly as she landed with a silent thump in her feet. And slowly she opened her eyes again to the sound of distant chirping birds and a cold breeze. Seto looked around, calmly taking a few steps forward in silence. Silence was all the wood had besides the distant and occasional chirping. On one of the trees beside her there were a cluster of cicadas. On another, a large flock of birds taking refuge from something unseen. The woman paused, looking over herself now that there was light around enough to see. Better to check for anything else the game dropped on her now, before any battles began, rather than later in the middle of a fight.

 

Particularly since she didn't know exactly how the battle system would work just yet. So far there were no changes. Beside the red cloak and matching cloth armor she had a long and thin blade at her right side. Idly she wondered what good it would be if she didn't know how to wield a sword... But something told her that programming fixed that. She looked around her left wrist, frowning slightly. Now this was out of place. "Hn... The deck holder from my duel disk," she said with a snort, looking at the small blinking '2000' on its cover. Lifepoint counter and deck. And just what was she expected to do with her other cards, hold them through battle? Well then...

 

She moved forward in the forest, adjusting the hat her armor came with and looking around. She should probably not attempt to summon any cards for the moment. The draw would of course be random, but she had a feeling that somewhere near the top was one of the magnificent beasts she treasured most among them. And as much as she would enjoy blasting through whatever appeared with Blue-Eyes, summoning the dragon would cost her 1500 of her lifepoints; a risk that even she was unwilling to take for the moment. She moved her wrist back down, continuing through the forest. Not as though she could draw a card now even if she wanted to, she recalled; she wasn't in whatever this program would consider a battle. And battles aside, she didn't even know the point of this game. Just how long would she be stuck playing if she didn't know what the point of the game was?

 

A low growl came from behind her, Seto turning with somewhat narrowed eyes. Low as it was, the sound was more than loud enough to silence the birds and the insects both, the entire flock fleeing in a panic. There was nothing directly behind her. But above...

 

The woman slowly looked upward, staring high past the tops of the trees in silence. Enormous violet scaled heads sat high above her, golden horns gleaming in the light of the sun. Large and equally golden eyes stared her down, and with a thundering roar the twoheaded king rex rose to its full height. The trees? Likely between 40, 60 meters tall. The giant, draconic dinosaur? She could see its shoulders between the tips, so that probably said something. Even so she knew what this monster was.

 

And compared to her own deck, this was nothing to sneeze at. She drew a card from her deck holder, before frowning. Tch... Much as this card would be handy if she lost life points... She blinked, watching as the card abruptly vanished in her hands. Where... Where did it-

 

_'Card added to hand,_ ' the computerized voice from before called, Seto merely looking back at the two-headed monster that had toppled a number of trees as it walked. Well. She supposed that explained a few things. No cards for now... The woman fingered the handle of the blade she had, narrowing her eyes. "Hn! Trying to beat me with a game like this," she muttered, drawing the sword from her side and holding it tightly in her right hand. This pose she was taking... She wasn't sure how she knew it, but this was a fencer's position. ...Great, the computer could change her own thoughts. Things to worry about after the battle then. The dinosaur before her stomped closer toward the woman, Seto not moving an inch. She needed to focus for now. Ignore the thoughts attacked, and see how the combat system of this game went instead. "Bring it on!" she growled lowly, blade held at the ready.

 

The monster merely roared in response, snapping its jaws before bringing one of it's massive and truck-sized feet toward the woman. Closer, closer... Before the beast could have the pleasure of squashing her beneath its toes she had long since rolled out of the way. The first of the two heads turned from where it had stepped, looking beneath its again raised foot before snarling in annoyance. The second turned, uttering a growl and pointing the first toward where she stood- with low and enraged growls the dinosaur stomped forward yet again, the ground quaking beneath its feet. "Grrrrnn... GRAAAAAAOOOO!" She winced slightly as the sound shook through the now mostly clear field, gritting her teeth. "GRAAAAOOOOOOAAAAA!" Tch!

 

Loud enough? They didn't need deaf players! The dinosaur opened its two great mouths, a blast of flame charging between their jaws as Seto stared up with wide eyes. Hang on! Since when did dinosaurs breathe f-

 

She jumped to the side as the flames struck the ground, watching with wide eyes as she came to a stop a full fifteen feet away from the location. Alright. If there was one thing she knew about jumping long distance, it was that _that_ would have ordinarily been impossible if she was actually jumping, she noted through idle panic. Even running before a jump four meters and beyond was unlikely! It was one thing to avoid being turned into charcoal... But that distance? A small smirk came on her face, the woman looking over at the still flaming trees with an odd smirk

 

"...Hnhnhnhnhn..." She chuckled darkly, looking up at the dinosaur as the smirk grew. "Hn _hnhnhnhn..._ " Well now... It looked as though the players in this game had fairly enhanced capabilities after all! How fitting in a battle with a monster more than ten times her size! The smirk faded somewhat, and again the woman took a combatant's pose of sorts. As she told her brother before this game began, she would win, no matter what! The blade at her side was held well at the ready, Seto staring down the dinosaur as it turned its heads to strike. The heads both snarled, apparently more than enraged about the the fact that its prey had again dodged the attack. Honestly, the size of a small skyscraper and it couldn't make a hit? "Hn! Pathetic!" she shouted up at the beast, the dinosaur in question snarling in response. Come on... Come on!

 

She continued to stare, watching as the closest head finally attempted to smash her into the trees behind her with its jaws. One jump and the attack was again easily dodged, a low and muffled growl coming from behind her among the sounds of splintering wood. The snarls continued behind her, Seto herself landing squarely between the beast's horns and turning back as the cluster of trees in its maw finally cracked into piles of what could barely be called toothpicks. The second head of the giant rex gave a loud and angered roar, Seto grabbing the beast's horn as it's trapped head was pulled cleanly from the ground and branches. It was a difficult grip- but although the horn was easily a number of times larger than herself it served to be more than enough to support her balance as the head beneath her rose up. A fierce growl entered the air from the second head, the woman staring it off as she gripped the side of the horn in her free hand. Higher she rose, higher, and higher...

 

The second head growled menacingly, its target simply smirking as it rose above the first. Now, she thought as the head she stood on ceased to move, the woman moving away from the horns and toward the weak point of the monster's neck. Come at her... Come on... Razor sharp teeth that could likely saw her in two on their own were bared in front of her, Seto hurriedly charging down the first head's neck as the second one struck. A swish of air was all she felt as she rushed down the monster's neck, along with drops of blood and saliva from the monster behind her. A loud and ear-splitting 'scream' came through the air as the first neck was severed, before the cries cut short. The second head pulled out as Seto continued to run, the spine she stood on hanging limp as the neck began to bleed out. It wasn't moving. Alright. That was one half of this thing's life then.

 

Seto ran toward the base of the second neck, the dinosaur snarling and storming around in an attempt to throw it's attacker off. "Gh..." The woman stumbled, boots scraping against the side of the monster's scales before she grabbed the crook between the beast's two necks, hanging by her hand as the monster continued it's rampage. "Damn it..!" Seto dangled from monster's back, looking down and narrowing her eyes. Well- that was definitely not an option. In that case... "HAH!" Blood splayed over the woman's face as her blade entered the base of the second spine, the dinosaur abruptly cutting it's cries. Deeper and deeper she pushed it in, before pulling it roughly from the dragon's body as it toppled forward to the ground with a resounding thud. Seto stood as the beast came to 'rest', droplets shaken from the blade as she looked over the dinosaur in disgust. "Tch... Remind me to put a 'cleaning' program in this," she muttered, looking over her already somewhat stained clothes. Blood, blood everywhere... Not to mention the fact that she'd likely been drooled on by this stupid beast, though it would probably be better for her mood if she just didn't think of that. Forget cleaning, she would probably be better off toning down the realism of it all.

 

The woman slid down the motionless dinosaur's side, before turning as the beast itself began to dissolve into nothing. Vanishing into bits of dust that blew away to nothingness, leaving nothing but a field of ruined trees in her wake... A small beeping sound from her side caught her attention, Seto watching as her lifepoints shot up by a full 1600. Well, she thought with a smirk. There was at least somewhat of a bright side here. Not a bad reward for-

 

She blinked, freezing as a small band of shadow came over her eyes. The shadow resembled tinted glass- however while that in itself was somewhat alarming, the text that appeared with it was a little more surprising. What was this... A menu? The band filled with scrolling numbers, a small stat sheet appearing before her as the numbers shifted around. One stat 'plus 2', another 'plus 3'...

 

' _Welcome to level two'_ , the menu stated in the same familiar computerized voice, Seto idly watching as the blood on her sword and clothes vanished with the dinosaur. Alright, scratch the need for a 'clean' system then. The realism was still to be considered however. ' _Remaining points until level three- 253 of 1200_ '. That much already? Hn... In her experience most RPG games didn't quite level so quickly. Then again, she supposed the levelling system made sense given the size of the monster.

 

Of course against Blue-Eyes it would have been a joke rather than the mild blood bath that had just occurred. Seto walked over to where a card had fallen on the side of where Two-Headed King Rex's body had been. It merely hovered in the air at the same position the beast had fallen to, standard duel-monster's backing one one side and a small number on the other.

 

'5'.

 

She grabbed the card, idly watching as it vanished and the 'menu' appeared above her eyes again. Hn. She scanned the numbers, hands returning to her sides as she looked it over. An inventory. On the side was a menu labeled 'hand', which she idly noted contained her 'Gift of the Holy Elf' card. On the other side under a small counter however... 'Gold – 5'. Not much per say, but it was only one monster. Besides, for all she knew '5 gold' was a virtual gold mine- not that she would count on it.

 

The woman looked around as the menu vanished from sight, sword still gripped in her hand as she walked. Whatever. The battle was over with, and it was time to move on... Heading for wherever she was supposed to go in order to continue this game. It would have helped if there was a way to simply 'log out' really, but as far as she was aware there wasn't one. Even if she did 'log out', she told herself as she moved, it was more than likely that she'd be told to test the game in full if she wanted it to 'count'.

 

Damn it. Regardless, no way out save apparent 'death' it seemed so far. At least from what she could tell. _'This is what happens to losers_ ' indeed...

 

She shook the thought from mind, biting her tongue. Why the hell was Gozaburo's twisted 'lesson' coming to mind now of all times? She needed to get out of here. Focus on the game, get it over with, and she could go home with Mokuba. For whatever it was that had him so excited from the start of the morning. Seto's eyes drifted around her as she continued to move, the red cloth of her armor standing out considerably against the green pine. The woods around her were thick and expansive. Dark, far darker than the clouded sunlight she had in the 'clearing' before. The darkness seemed to increase despite the space between the branches above, and as she continued on the path the trees themselves seemed to slowly rot away to nothing but withered and petrified husks.

 

What was once a forest of enormous and majestic pine grew down into a wide expanse of blackened trunks, needles equally dark despite the fact that they rose far above her. The ground itself was littered with branches and needles, all a murky black-brown in colour and crunching loudly beneath her feet. It was neither the scenery nor the prospect of being killed in a virtual reality that by all aspects felt real, that had her on edge however. Rather it was the silence that surrounded her in the meantime. A complete silence, to the point that not a single form of living creature could be heard, with the only sounds that of her feet stepping across the blackened pine. The feeling she had was unmistakable. A chilling feeling of paranoia that creeped deep into her spine and had her standing on edge. Someone was watching her. Watching from the side, above or behind... Who the hell knew, but someone was there. Briefly she paused, standing in place with narrowed eyes. She knew someone was following her. But where... Hnn...

 

She closed her eyes, raising her eyebrows as instead of 'darkness' she saw the menu again. A status screen. Huh. That was... Interesting. She frowned, 'looking' over the menu while keeping her ears open to her surroundings. It was a simple stats menu, or simple enough at least. As to how she was supposed to work this menu... She looked over the labels, eyes still closed as a small frown came over her. There were a few tabs on the side. 'Inventory', 'Party' (which was completely black of course), and lastly a section labelled 'Spells'. Now... If she could simply use the spell cards, she thought with a small frown, then why was that there...

 

The frown deepened, and she decided to try something. Either she'd manage to make a complete fool of herself or she'd figure another stupid point of this game out... "...Open 'Spell Menu'," she stated, opening her eyes as the menu itself appeared before her. Similar to when she had defeated the two headed rex, a band of 'glass' appeared before her eyes, a clear list appearing before her. Ahhh... Now this was better. A list of greyed out spells met her eyes, an almost equally grey list of numbers beside them. There were two sets beside each spell; for the first one, which was likely a simple fire oriented spell given it's name (Fire. How cute), the list stated ' _5 Skill Points- alt. 150 Lifepoints_ '. Skillpoints...

 

The number hovered at the side, and she frowned. She had two; likely one for each level. Was there honestly a point in offering that form of payment if the alternative price was so low? Speaking of the low price... Life points were certainly something she had a fair amount of for the moment. Hesitantly she reached out at the menu, tapping the first spell and watching as it glowed. From the side her deck holder beeped, 150 of her recently gained points vanishing as the spell itself flickered into green. Below it a few of the other spells on the list glowed white, Seto herself listening as a slight rustling noise came over. ' _Fire spell purchased_ ,' the computerized voice from before the start of the game stated, its subject only partially listening as she looked back in the corner of her eye. ' _To utilize this spell and any others, speak the name during battle. This spell costs 50 lifepoints to cast._ ' Speak the name? So 'Fire' basically. Alright, that didn't seem too bad...

 

"...Close menu," she stated, watching as the screen vanished in a small stream of light. She had to admit. That was handy. And lucky that it worked really, given how hands on everything else seemed to be. She adjusted her still firm grip on the blade at her side, frowning as more rustling sounds came from behind. The woman grew tense, shifting her footing and finding herself answered with silence. Someone was watching her... The same as before, only now they were extremely close. Seto's eyes narrowed and she moved her blade to the side, preparing to swing. Someone likely safely out of reach of her blade... Simply swinging it would likely only open herself for attack, but if she waited too long then she'd be in just as much hot water really. Hn...

 

Perhaps this was a good time to test that 'spell' system. More rustling came from behind, growing louder and louder... And to the left-

 

In an instant she turned, met with black cloth armor and a samurai's helm as a monster she quickly identified as 'Armed Ninja'. " _FIRE_!" she shouted, swinging the blade toward the armed ninja as it charged. Flames coated the sword in an instant as it swung through the air, the heat and sparks shooting off and striking the ninja's feet as he flipped out of the attack's path. Seto backed away slightly, sword at the ready while the ninja merely pulled what looked to be cards from its side. They both stared at the other, the ninja toeing around the small space between trees that they had. So... The armed ninja. Hn!

 

This one only had a small fraction of power compared to the rex she fought with! Still the ninja stared her down, cards and shuriken held at the ready as they paced around the other. If this continued on she wouldn't be getting anything done. Perhaps she could get this done quickly... She glanced at her deck holder, drawing a card from it and looking it over with a smirk. Excellent. Just as she'd thought! Now, this would be more than simple. She held her card out, eyes narrowed as she held her ground against the ninja. "Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" she shouted, her lifepoints plummeting to 1900 as the card vanished from her hands. Behind her a large and swirling vortex appeared, an ear-splitting roar filling the air as the dragon's hot breath came from behind. White scales shimmered into existence, claws the size of her forearm coming to rest at her side. An echoing growl broke through the area, but even as trees themselves buckled under the pressure of the roar Seto did not wince at all.

 

This would be no contest she told herself, taking a fighting stance along side the mighty white dragon. No contest what so ever. "Now," she shouted, pointing the dragon forward with her blade. "Attack!" The dragon let loose a loud roar, the ninja in front of them paling as it attempted to flee. Charging back through the trees it ran, Blue-Eyes merely snorting as it took aim. Heh... As if anyone could outrun Blue Eyes! Immense heat came from behind her, Blue-Eyes charging a white hot blast of flames before letting it loose with a roar. "BURST STREAM!" she shouted, watching as the dragon's bluish white flames shot toward the ninja in a solid stream of light, the ninja continuing to run...

 

Only for Seto to pale this time, eyes widening with shock. At the last second the ninja turned with narrowed eyes, tossing one of the cards he'd pulled forward. With no way to stop the attack she could only watch the trap fly closer and closer before the flames engulfed it, the paper reduced to ashes in an instant. Before the ninja an immense jar appeared, scaled clay toppling into existence before standing in front of her.

 

The dragon capture jar. "Gh- Shit!" She turned, eyes wide as the dragon she'd summoned was quickly pulled in, a howling roar filling the air as it was compressed into the jar's opening. The eyes of the jar gleamed as it engulfed blue eyes entirely, quivering slightly before if vanished from existence. "...Blue-Eyes..! Tch..." Damn... She turned back to the ninja, eyes filled with rage as it pulled out a katana. Oh, so now it was blade against blade? "Bastard..." Who cared if it was programming that determined all of this, that was her Blue-Eyes damn it! She didn't even know that card _existed_ outside of Pegasus' god-damned castle!

 

The woman charged toward the ninja, blade swinging in a single arc toward her opponent. The ninja however merely flipped back, bouncing off the side of a tree and tossing a flurry of shuriken toward her from behind. Seto grit her teeth, pushing herself to the side and behind the same tree her opponent lept from, tensing slightly as a series of 'thunks' met the air. Just as quickly as the sound hit her ears however she was at the other side of the tree, charging after the ninja once again with her blade. He was just within reach... Despite the difference in power it was more than apparent what the difference between fighting a person and fighting a giant stupid dinosaur was.

 

Even so she continued after the ninja, blade narrowly missing with each strike. Each strike however pinned the opponent against a tree, and as she approached with what would be the first and final strike a single solid 'thump' he the air. Instead of flesh, a piece of the tree she had cornered the ninja against fell to the ground, smoke meeting her eyes in the place of black fabric. Thick and heavy the smoke filled the air, the woman coughing as she attempted to clear the air to see. What had started as a thin curtain had quickly developed into a solid and impenetrable fog, Seto taking a step back and turning around with her sword held before her. Shit...

 

Where the hell did that ninja vanish to... As much as she knew this was to disorient her, she also knew that standing stock still would do absolutely nothing for her. There was a reason why smoke bombs worked. Seto hissed, looking around with narrowed eyes. Damn it. If it hadn't been for that damned dragon capture jar... She swore it, the first chance she got that card would be-

 

"Gh- Ack!" Something wrapped around her feet, the woman stumbling forward as her sword clattered from her hands. Limbs were wrapped tightly to her sides, leaving her glaring down at her tangled body with grit teeth. Great... A bola? Damn it, how would she get out of- Her eyes widened as a net fell over her, before an immense and blinding pain filled her body not a moment after the thought. "Gh..." Don't scream... "Hah..." Don't scream damn it, this was- "HAAAAA! A _AAAAAHHHH_!" This wasn't just a shock..! "AAA _AAAHHHHHHHHH_!" And yet this wasn't going to kill her, she knew- this wouldn't end her life points, or end her place in the game. She'd have been rendered immobile if that was the case, completely unable to move- " _GAAAAAHHHHH_!" But the pain...

 

The pain was more than lasting and intense, burning through her skin and literally jumping from her fingertips as visible sparks laced the net over here. Finally, as her screams finally died down she felt her body stiffen under the net. Her jaw clamped tightly shut, eyes locked open as she twitched against the shock. Her limbs tensed against herself, unable to move, her heart unable to fight against the shock. "Gh... Gh... H..." Finally... Finally it was dying down. Down to nothing but a numbing pain across her skin as her eyes closed over, the heat from the net still smoking above.

 

Dimly, she could still see through the smoke even now as her captor moved toward her. The ninja stood there with a rope and thick cloth tarp in hand, her blade laying at the man's feet. And finally, she saw nothing but blackness as a final shock and twitch jolted through her system. Hearing nothing but a long, steady tone that rang loudly through her ears...

 

* * *

 

- _beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep_

 

That sound was not a good thing. "H-Hah... Ahhh..." Mokuba froze as the screen flashed, a series of stats appearing along side a small pixelated version of his older sister. Lifepoints froze in place, flashing in and out of red and green, red and green, stats were blacked out, the sprite on screen collapsing to the ground...

 

From the regular and constant monitor that told him of his older sister's status, of her breathing and heart rate, had come one single piercing beep to take the place of the well timed blips of a pulse. "N-Nee-sama!" he shouted, momentarily forgetting about the earlier silent warning that the room could have been bugged. There wasn't time to worry about that- the steady 'bump bump' of a heart rate had just flat-lined! Hurriedly the override button he'd found from the binder was pushed, Mokuba running over to the pod as the lid hissed open. Behind him as he ran, the screen had replaced the lifepoints bar with the letters ' _PAR_ ' before switching to a far more blunt ' _GAME OVER_ '. But that couldn't be true, he told himself as the computer calmly announced that fact. That couldn't be... "Nee-sama!" he screeched, shaking the woman's motionless form as a steady _'bp...bp...bp..._ ' came back from the computer. Heart rate was normal again... She was still breathing, but although the device had technically opened up it still held the woman tightly in its grasp. "NEESAMA!"

 

He continued to shake the woman by the arms, before stumbling back from the chair with nervous breaths. There was no response, no response at all. Game over, the computer said? Game over? But that... That couldn't... Doors were closing over top of the already shut 'gate' behind him, locking the boy in the room with the sounds of grinding levers and gears followed by a solid slam thanks to the override. Steam was rising from the computer due to the immense heat it now gave off, the binder laying open by the controls from where he had torn through it with the sudden electrifying blast that erupted through the device itself. In one move that had happened, just one. But... They couldn't...

 

He swallowed, eyes widening as the screens to the side of the main one flicked on in a flash. To see one of the board facing him down from a screen the size of himself... "Greetings Mokuba," Oka said almost cruelly, adjusting his glasses as the boy on the other end of the camera tensed and stepped back from the screen. There was no need to feign respect anymore, not when the position and table of power had turned. No more. And even though he knew that the honorific had been halfheartedly tacked on when they used it, the lack thereof still placed a chilled feeling in his throat.

 

But Oka was not just saying 'hello'.

 

"It would seem your older brother was unable to pass the challenge of the game..." Mokuba again swallowed, backing up against the machine where his sister sat, blood draining from his face as the man 'in front' of him continued. "You know," he said, shaking his head with a small smirk as he appeared to stare past and at the pod behind the boy. "If he remains in that state for too long, it'll be impossible to pull him out from the game..." Impossible? But that... That wouldn't... That wouldn't happen, it?

 

The screen switched, cracking and flashing as Ota came on screen in his coworker's place. "You should listen," he said with narrowed eyes, expression nothing but severe. "Thoughts are nothing but electrical signals after all," he continued, folding his hands before him. "And at the moment, all of those signals for your brother's consciousness are entrapped in that device. If the signals aren't brought back into his body soon," he 'warned', despite the clear sign that there was nothing to be done, "You'll be right back where you were two months ago... And the one you call your brother will be trapped in a line of code, for all eternity!"

 

"G-Gn... That..." He shook his head, eyes wide before attempting to steel himself. "That won't..." He couldn't let that happen. He wouldn't! Not again... Not...

 

Not again... "Mokuba," Oka continued, again taking the camera as he addressed the boy with narrowed eyes. "Don't think that you yourself are in any position to protest..." Gh... What? "You are just as caged as your brother; and when those doors open up again, you won't enjoy it..." The boy grit his teeth as the lawyer on screen chuckled, the man's eyes narrowing dangerously. So they were sending someone down to catch him then? Like he'd let that happen! "We'll see you soon Mokuba," the man said darkly, the small screens crackling out a few moments later. "Very soon..." Gh... Not good...

 

Not good! He turned to look at his motionless sister, biting his lip. Not moving... She was breathing though, and the machines said she was at least alive right? He couldn't hear what was happening outside the room. He couldn't tell if the people that the board had sent were just down the hall or only leaving for the elevator from their staff-room on the main floor. But he knew he didn't have much time, not if he wanted to help his sister; if the game needed to be beaten to leave this place, then he'd go in and do that himself!

 

But he needed help. He'd done some flipping through that book... It didn't just detail the game, it had the system as well, maybe there were a few things he could do if he just had time... He pushed one of the buttons on the side of the pod arm, watching as the same card deck drawer opened up in the override. Seto's deck was quickly and carefully pulled out, stowed away in the pocket of his jeans before he ran over to the computer itself in a cold sweat. He needed this binder, he thought as he grabbed it. There were only a few people he could go to that could possibly help with this, and if they were going to help then he would need as much information for them as possible. Eyes darted around the room, Mokuba scanning for any possible way out. Even a ventilation shaft would work if he was lucky. Come on...

 

He blinked, running over to the back end of the room as he spotted something. Above the pile of left overs... A grate! Alright! Now. He clambered up the large series of boxes at the far end of the room, looking over the grating that covered the shaft with a small grin. He could get out of here, eas- The boy frowned, realization striking him cold. It was bigger down here because the room was industrial but... Looking at the piping above there was no way he'd fit. And even if he took the main shaft up, he'd have to somehow climb straight up the pipes. And thanks to Seto's own security endeavours, that was pretty much impossible!

 

...Would they know that though?

 

His eyes widened for a moment, before a smirk came over on his face yet again. Smart as some of the guards were, there was no way they knew about every detail of the vent piping. The grate to the shaft was loosely screwed in place of course, so he'd need to fix that; easily done using nothing but a ten yen coin he found earlier, the thin coin slipping into the slot of the screws with ease. Pushing the cover to the side however, he hopped down from the boxes before running to the other side of the room. The doors were opening now, from the outside to the inner barriers; he could hear the gears clicking behind the walls, the whirring sounds as the doors began to rise and come apart. But along the side of the doors was an immense supercomputer tower that was required for anything concerning the VR pod to work, huge and cylindrical in appearance- and it was perfect size to hide behind.

 

The doors rose open, three guards running in with their weapons drawn. The first one he recognized with an uneasy swallow, Saruwatari moving to glance at Seto's motionless form before continuing to search the rest of the room. Mokuba made his way around the back end of the computer, before hurriedly rushing into the dark hall as quietly as possible lest that search take them to his hiding spot. Shouts were coming from the inside of the room, and even down the hall he could still hear them.

 

' _He's escaped_ ,' they shouted angrily, Mokuba holding his breath as he charged to the nearby elevator. The 'up' button was jammed immediately, Mokuba hurriedly turning to look down the hall as voices began to pick up in volume. Come on... He had to get on the elevator, come on... ' _Well go after him, he can't leave!_ ' Come on!

 

- _ding_

 

The doors whooshed open, Mokuba running in and hurriedly pushing both the 'G' button and the button to close the doors. Only when they shut did he relax somewhat, moving back to lean against the glass wall of the elevator. Gh... That was... He held the binder close to his chest, breathing heavily as the elevator came to the main floor. No time to relax. They had stairs didn't they? As fast as he possibly could he ran out, not even paying the confused secretary at the lobby any mind as he bolted for the door. There were no guards in the lobby. They were on the sides, or in their own staff-room, waiting for a call. The spinning door was pushed as hard as he could with his shoulder, the sounds of

thunder meeting his ears as he left the safety of the small roof that hung above them. Rain poured heavily outside, thunder sounding as the boy charged on toward the busy streets and crowds of Tokyo. Earlier in the day, the radio had stated the near constant down-pour to be a 'nice break' from the constant blasting snow, a 'well needed shower to clean the city' Now?

 

Now there was rain pounding against the back of his head and neck, his body partially slouched over in an attempt to protect the binder from the elements as he ran. He choked on his breath, running through the streets as people were bumped past him in either confusion or anger at the careless charge. Now... It was the 25th now. He'd planned on having a small birthday party with Katsuya when the blond got back from school, as a surprise. The present still sat in his room even, neatly wrapped in a box. They'd have some cake, and even if Seto wasn't much for parties (at all), she'd probably like the food at least...

 

He didn't expect for that game to happen though. He didn't think that all of this would happen, despite the knowledge on both of their behalves, despite the glaring fact that it was all a giant trap! Mokuba bit back a few tears, taking shuddering breaths as he continued to run through the streets. Wednesday. It was Wednesday... Katsuya didn't have work of course, so he'd definitely be spending some time with his friends on his birthday right? So they would definitely be at Yugi's house, definitely, definitely...

 

He stumbled slightly, tightening his grip on the binder as he ran. It was hard to breathe. He couldn't stop running though, he couldn't... Streets were beginning to blur, rain soaking through his shirt and vest until his entire body felt as though it was sitting beneath a pool. In the distance he could see a large building, a tall 'department' store of sorts with... A clown? Was that what it was? His eyes widened, and he pushed onward as he took a look at the immense building across from him. 'Black Clown'. Katsuya had mentioned this place. He and Yugi had been wondering what the building would be, particularly since the addition of the clown, which had shot down all ideas the two had come up with; Katsuya had even asked Seto if she had a clue...

 

And to Mokuba's surprise, rather than a glare and a ' _do I care, Mutt'_ the blond had gotten a knowing, if not likely smug smirk. Something told him that his sister would be giving this store a few devices at special request. Something just told him. Mokuba rasped for breath as the rain continued to pound on his back, the boy approaching the door of the far smaller and humbled looking house/game shop that Yugi called home. There... They had to be there, they had to be... He could hear voices from inside, he could hear them...

 

' _Which reminds me_ ,' Sugoroku was saying, ' _You asked me to tell you when the capture jar was released and-_ ' The old man was cut off, a muttered 'nah, I'm good' coming from inside. That voice... He was there... He was...

 

Mokuba choked again, numbly slamming his shoulder into the door and pushing it forward as he stumbled. Here... He was here... The bell rang above him, those at the store front turning at the sound. All of them, they were all there...

 

"Gh... K-Katsuya-nii," he said with a cough, the blond in question running over with the others as the boy collapsed. How fast had he run? ...How long, he couldn't tell... The binder slipped out of his arms, but while that clattered to the ground warm arms picked him up and pulled the boy close, Mokuba shivering as the door swung shut and closed out the wind and rain.

 

"M-Mokuba!" Katsuya said with a shout, the others coming over and looking down at the boy. Everything was a blur. All he could see through the drops of water on his face were blurs of colour,

browns, blacks, reds and blonds swirling in a giant cloud. And cold, so cold...

 

The boy shivered, only just now realizing how wet and cold he was. Numb... His entire body was completely numb, and he could barely hear the others as worried mutterings filled the air. ' _Get a pot of water boiling,_ ' Sugoroku was telling Yugi, grandson nodding and hurriedly running off. ' _I'll get a blanket,_ ' he had continued, disappearing with those words.

 

"Mokuba," Katsuya was saying, voice sounding more as though it was going through water than through air. "Mokuba what happened?" the blond was asking, the others looking on worriedly. Bakura was gone, the boy noted. It was just Honda, Anzu and Katsuya in the room. Where was he... He looked up at them dimly, taking a few ragged breaths. He'd asked what happened...

 

He had to tell them too, he had to... "N...Nii-sama," he whispered, Katsuya pulling the boy up somewhat awkwardly in his arms as Sugoroku came over with a blanket. ' _Bring him upstairs_ ,' the old man was saying, Mokuba dimly feeling himself being lifted up. There wasn't much time, he had to tell them... "N-Niisama is... Is..." He took a few more shaking breaths, shivering violently as the cold finally caught up to him.

 

"Shhh," Anzu whispered worriedly, Mokuba dimly watching as they were led up to more quiet quarters. It was a fairly cramped living room that they were brought into there; coffee table, a loveseat and two chairs... There was a bookshelf at the side as well, along with a small television at the other end of the room. As he was placed on the couch, a blanket wrapped tightly around him however, he didn't care where they were. It was warm here, and they were all in the same spot, so he could talk...

 

"Shhh," Anzu continued, wiping a bit of hair from the boy's face as she took a seat beside Katsuya and Mokuba both. "Get warmed up first, then you can talk... You need to warm up, you're as cold as ice," she said with a slight gasp, the woman's hand feeling red hot against his skin.

 

"Not surprising," Honda was muttering from the side, shaking his head with wide eyes as he leaned against the wall. "The rain out there, even coming from school you'd be soaked to the skin..." Katsuya swallowed at that, attempting to warm up Mokuba with a bit lip. Constant rubbing against his arms, doing little to dry the wet clothes stuck to his body...

 

"...An' KaibaCorp's about as close as that," he muttered, the boy beside him merely shivering. That far huh... It never seemed that way when they went by car.

 

"Gh..." The boy sniffed, curling in and into the blanket with a nod. At least he wasn't still out there, right? He'd made it here hadn't he? Yugi came in a few moments later, hoisting a pot of steaming tea as Sugoroku followed with both cups and the binder that Mokuba dropped. Dishes were placed neatly on the table, the binder at the side. He watched as Yugi poured a small cup of tea, handing it to him with a worried smile.

 

Warm...

 

His hands almost pulled back from the cup, the heat stinging against his palms. So warm... "T-Thank you," he said quietly, holding it in his hands for the moment. It'd be too hot to drink. Better to hold it than let it spill because of a burnt tongue right? "Ng... I..."

 

The others tensed as the boy coughed somewhat, Katsuya in particular frowning. They all looked so worried. He was... He wasn't the one in trouble though, he had to... Suddenly the blond holding him tensed, Mokuba looking up somewhat in response. "...Mokuba?" Katsuya asked with somewhat wide eyes, as though only just realizing what the boy's presence entailed. "...Where's yer s-... Where's your brother?"

 

As a few tears fell at the question, Mokuba could do nothing but clutch his tea cup and fumble with his answer. Where was she? She was... "G-Gone," he said shakily, the others drawing back with frowns at the words. "G...Gone, he..." He took a shaky breath, bringing the tea cup to his lips and slowly taking a sip despite the burn it left on his tongue. Despite how hot it was it still tasted good... He took another sip, calming himself down a little more before continuing. "N-Nii-sama... Nii-sama finally got through to the board of directors, the 'Big 5'," he began, staring at the table as he started his tale. "They finished their game, along with all of the technology for it, so he was going to test it... After he did that," the boy continued, "He'd be able to fire them for what they did to us before..." He grit his teeth, eyes narrowing at the thought of the big 5 as the others listened. "It was a trap... We both knew it was a trap.. But we couldn't do anything about it," he protested, hands clenching the tea cup in his hands. "If we just let them continue on, they could have done something even worse, something even more..! I... ...And now, nii-sama is..."

 

The others stared in silence, Katsuya audibly swallowing. "Gone?" he whispered, shaking his head. "Whadya mean gone... S... He's... De-"

 

"No!" Mokuba shook his head, eyes wide with disbelief as he turned on the blond. The others flinched at the shout, letting the boy continue. "No, s... He's not, he's not," he continued, shaking his head rapidly. "...But he's trapped," he whispered, turning away and biting his lip. "He can't get out... It's a virtual reality game," Mokuba explained, staring into his tea cup. "When you start it, the body enters a coma almost, and everything that happens, happens in the mind... ...In the computer," he almost corrected, recalling Ota's words with a shiver. "Nii-sama... Something happened to him in the game, and since he didn't 'die' in there he can't just end it and get out! He's stuck, unable to get out, and if I can't fix it... If I can't beat the game for him to pull him out..."

 

She'd be in there forever. They'd be left with a comatose shell once more, but this time there wouldn't be a promise for her to come back. They wouldn't be able to wait and see what happened. She'd just be trapped...

 

Until the day she 'died'. Tears began running down his cheeks with that realization, and he took another sip of his tea in an attempt to calm down again. "Trapped in the game," Katsuya repeated with an almost shocked scowl, shaking his head as Mokuba fell silent. "Gh... That ain't a game, that's a murder machine!"

 

Anzu nodded, her own eyes wide. "And... He's trapped in there?" she repeated, swallowing. "He's... Actually trapped inside something like that..." Mokuba nodded, staring at the table. It sounded like something from a sci-fi movie, or a book... ' _Trapped in the game, need to beat it to get out_ '... Something so bizarre and impossible that you could almost laugh at the idea! ...And now that it was actually happening... That it was actually real...

 

"K-Katsuya-nii," he whispered, head bowed as he stared at the ground. "And Yugi," he asked, the two in question both looking at him with steady nods. "I know that... That nii-sama isn't that nice to you guys..." In fact if it hadn't been for the holidays, he'd say that was an understatement really... "But I need help," he said with a cough, shaking his head and turning to the others. "I don't want him to die... I... I can't just let him die! Please," he begged, shaking as Katsuya pulled him over, the boy's tea cup placed on the table. "Please, you have to... You have to save him... If he's in there too long, he'll..."

 

The room went silent for a moment, Sugoroku crossing his arms. "Nnnn... The heads of Kaiba corporation," he said, shaking his head with a frown. "If you aren't careful with that, you'll be worrying about far more than just your brother's life..."

 

"I know," Mokuba said with a small frown, biting his lip and wincing at the thought. "But even so, I have to try..."

 

"And you can count us in then," Katsuya said with a stern nod, the boy turning to look at him. "You think we'll jus' leave y' hanging?" he asked with a wry smirk, before frowning once more. "There's no way in hell I could jus' stand by an' watch this happen after yah told me about this..."

 

Beside him Yugi nodded, as did the others. "That's right," the boy said, his own gaze equally as hard. "No matter what Kaiba-san thinks of us, I still see he-him as a friend," he continued, bowing his head. A friend? Yugi thought that Seto was a friend?

 

Mokuba stared, listening as Yugi continued. "Mokuba," he said, puzzle seeming to glow as he spoke. "No matter what, we'll help... The bond between you two," the boy continued, a severe stare in place. "It's an important thing. Something that you can't break, right?" He continued to stare, listening as Yugi went on. "So don't worry about anything! No matter what, we'll help, alright..?" He'd...

 

...They could die. They could all die, but they were still so willing to help... He swallowed, thoughts flashing back to the last time they had been in a situation even comparable to this, back on the board of the 'Monster World'. Back when they had to 'beat the game' to get out, just like they were going to do now. That time, they'd done it because he'd been trapped, and in the end because it was all or nothing for everyone on the board. But they hadn't known the risks going into that game to start; they'd just been forced to jump into it, caught completely off guard. With this though...

 

Mokuba nodded, wiping the last of his tears from his eyes as he composed himself. He couldn't cry... He was eleven, he wasn't supposed to cry! They could do this. They could get his sister out of there, and then they'd get rid of the ones who started this in the first place! The big 5 were prepared to deal with Seto, but they wouldn't be ready for an assault on all fronts! They wouldn't know what hit them... They wouldn't expect anything like this! "Alright," he finally said after a small bit of silence, nodding both to himself and to the others. They could do this... He looked at the binder that sat on the table, before grabbing it and pulling it over. "But before we go," he continued, opening it up and looking to the others with a frown. "...We're going to need a plan." This would be more than a rescue...

 

This would be an attack that the big 5 would never walk away from!

 


	2. Between A Rock and the Frying Pan's Flames

Planning an attack was never really an easy task. Particularly when the attack was meant to go against a group of people who could arguably have each of them shot for simply breathing the same air in the room- and that was including Mokuba. There were many things to be done, many things to be prepared. The area needed to be scouted out, analyzed more thoroughly than a soldier's bedroom during inspection. Safe paths of entry and exit would need to be found, backup plans made in case things went awry, ideas for what would occur in the game itself...

 

And for the last hour and a half, that was exactly what they'd been doing. The book lay open on the table before them and in a twisted way, Katsuya could almost compare it to a last minute study session for entrance exams. Except this time he was actually joining in, and properly invested. The book came in three parts; location, detailing the rooms containing pods along with their location. Construction, which concerned the wires and code of the device, down to the details of each tiny piece in the motherboard... And last of all, the actual game play.

 

The game itself was so heavily based on circumstance that they gave up looking through that section after about ten minutes really. There were too many things based on where they went, and what they did. All they really had was that the final boss was some kind of giant dragon of sorts, and even that in itself was sketchy. They did have one thing from the section though; thanks to the detail that went into what was a surprisingly well written 'class system', they'd managed to already have set decisions on just what they'd be picking to go into the game- while deciding who would be going into the game at all as well.

 

Yugi would probably have more luck in the virtual world than the real one when things started getting rough anyway, even if he _wasn't_ considered the best in the group at games. Katsuya had a strange look in his eye when the question of who was going rose, so it was clear that even asking if he would want to sit out would be foolish at best. Honda simply had no deck- and Anzu, while keeping up to date enough with her cards that she was still occasionally putting her blond classmate in his place with a tabletop round, didn't trust anyone except Mokuba to keep proper eye on the computer while the others went under.

 

And naturally Mokuba refused to do anything _but_ go in, which meant that it was going to be a team of Mo-Yu-Jou for the trio of multiplayer pods. Once they'd settled on who was doing what, Mokuba had stuck with what was familiar to him; having played the rogue during the Monster World fiasco, the 'Thief' seemed a most logical choice. Fighting with a dagger, the thief could (according to the book) use trap cards, as well as steal from the opponent during battle. Katsuya in the meantime had picked the same 'Warrior' class he'd had from that time in Monster World as well, the blond briefly wondering what sort of armor he'd end up with; from what the book said, the look depended on the size and build of the person... Completely in fact, to the point that even the 'preview' screens in the game itself weren't much to go on. Nonetheless the moment he'd seen the 'warrior' on the list he'd picked it, grinning eagerly when told that the warrior got an attack bonus; whatever got them closer to the boss, really.

 

While he'd been pondering his armor, Yugi and the other Yugi had both been flipping through the book and 'themselves', while questioning whether they'd both end up in the virtual world or not. It was a good question, given how things worked out in reality; would a machine be able to take two minds in from one person, even when one wasn't technically in there? Pegasus hadn't been able to read both minds after all. He'd only reached the one 'present'. So what would happen in the game? In the end the thoughts of who would be going in were dropped when Mokuba spotted the page that Yugi was currently looking at. "The archer?" he asked with raised eyebrows, the three sitting around the table as the others stood at the side. While it had already been made clear that only three of them would be able to go in once Mokuba had stated that there were only three pods in the room they would be able to access, the other two would need to know as much as possible to keep tabs from the computer console.

 

The boys stared at the page, Anzu and Honda doing their best to go over their own plans for defense as they talked to each other. Like the others, it had a basic 'image' of the class, along with all the stats... Yugi had been looking over it for a while now though.

 

"Are you going to pick that one Yugi?" Mokuba asked, the boy in question turning with the statement. There was a slight pause, Yugi briefly looking back at the book.

 

"I think so," he said with a nod, looking over the page for a few moments. "I was considering summoner as well, but this way I won't have to rely on the monsters completely... Also," he said with a small and determined nod, passing the binder over to Mokuba, "The archer has a chance of taming opposing monsters to summon once again... Depending on what we run into, that could be extremely helpful!"

 

The others nodded, looking back at the book themselves to look over the page. That wasn't all the archer could do it looked like; it could also use spell cards. "Heh..." Katsuya shook his head, smirking. "Guess that's as close as we'll get t' the 'Beast Tamer'," he said with a laugh, before watching as Mokuba flipped to another portion of the book. "Anyways... Now that we've got that," he continued with a slight frown, "We'll need t' figure out a way in righ'?"

 

He looked to Mokuba, the boy nodding from where he was scanning the book. "Yeah... They'll probably have the entrances covered," he said with a frown, flipping through until he found the page labelled 'Multi-Player Beta'. A large room detailing three pods situated around a pillar met their eyes, certain areas labelled 'computer', or 'main power cable'. "Although..." The others stared, Mokuba looking up in thought before turning to them. "If we could get in through the back door without being seen," he explained, leaning on the table as he spoke, "We might be able to avoid detection until we get in there..."

 

Katsuya scratched his head, frowning. "Yeah, but what happens when we actually get in there then," he asked, the others turning to him questioningly. "I mean, if we're gonna get caught when we get there, what happens after that?" He'd rather not end up going in only to be dragged back; nothing would get done if that happened!

 

Beside him, Yugi nodded in agreement, wincing somewhat at the thought. "That's right," he said with a frown, biting his lip. "They might try to do something to the machines while we're connected... And if it's attached to our spines," he added with a nervous swallow, shuddering somewhat. Well... That would be bad. Hihhhh. He should probably not think about things attaching to the back of his neck.

 

From the side, Honda snorted, shaking his head. "Hah! Like hell we're going to let that happen," he said with a frown, crossing his arms while the others turned to him. "We'll be there won't we?" he asked, smirking. "Just because we're stuck on computer duty, doesn't mean that we'll be doing nothing right?"

 

Anzu nodded, frowning. "That's right... I might not seem very capable," she said with a slight glare, "But there's a reason why you used to call me Mazaki." Yes. Yes there was, and it was because she was more than enough to scare the shit out of him and Honda at school. And sometimes not at school. Like at Burger World... With the ketchup bottle.

 

Well, if they said they were good... "Alright," Mokuba said with a smile, looking back to the book, before frowning somewhat. "Just one more thing then..."

 

The others turned, blinking before watching as the boy flipped through the binder. One more thing? What was that then?

 

He pulled open one of the latter pages, a list of computer terms and diagrams that just about gave the blond a headache appearing before them. "We're going up against all sorts of things that the Big 5 programmed to specifically counter Seto-niisama," the boy stated, frowning. "We're going to need as much of an advantage as possible..." That was for sure. If it was programmed specifically against Seto of all people, then what did that mean for them? Mokuba continued looking over the book, Anzu and Honda coming over to look as well while the boy frowned. "If I can find a way to maybe hack the game software to do that... Put in a code to our advantage..."

 

Katsuya looked over the book, the others staring with somewhat wide eyes at the gibberish on the page. "Wow," Honda muttered, scratching his head as the boy worked over the binder. "You actually understand all that crap?" The answer to what was likely everyone's thoughts was not only silent, but another clear example of just how close the Kaiba siblings were; fairly interesting how that glare could be recreated really... It sure as hell had him inching back a bit.

 

In the end the boy went back to the book however, staring at a few pages and biting his lip. "Hnn..." A few moments of silence passed, the others watching with baited breath. It wasn't as though they could tell what the book said on all this. There was nothing but numbers and codes and lists on the page. An entirely separate language really. It seemed he found something however as in the end he closed it, nodding to himself before smiling. "Ok... I have something," he announced, sitting up before wincing and tugging at the shirt he was wearing.

 

"Er..." Yugi bit his lip, rubbing the back of his neck as Mokuba adjusted the shirt a bit. "My shirt isn't causing any problems is it," he asked, the boy in question shaking his head.

 

"Ah, no... It's fine," he said with a laugh, scratching his head and looking himself over for a moment. It was pretty weird, seeing Mokuba in leather of all things. But when they were pressed for time and Mokuba was wearing wet clothes... Well, Mokuba and Yugi _were_ pretty close in size right now. "It's just a little weird," the boy continued with a laugh, "Being able to fit in your clothes I mean..." Well, given that there was a five year difference... Yeah, he could see why that made him fell a little awkward. Just a little. "...Thanks for letting me wear them though," he said with a small bowing nod, Yugi shaking his head.

 

"It's the least I could do," he said with a smile, standing up himself. "Your clothes won't be dry for a while after all, and if you wore them too long you'd get a cold... I don't think your brother would be too happy about that," he added with a small and nervous laugh.

 

Katsuya nodded, getting up from the side as well and stretching somewhat. "Besides," he said with a smirk, laughing. "Don't yah wanna see S... Kaiba's face when s- When he see's yah in Yugi's clothes?" Damn it, why was it so hard to keep the terms straight! Yugi was doing alright with it... Then again, he had the other Yugi to remind him, didn't he? The boy laughed nervously, shaking his head while the others stood up. Ok, maybe the situation wouldn't play out as well as it did in his head. Actually, the situation in his head was suddenly a lot worse.

 

"Well," Honda decided, stretching somewhat as he moved from behind the couch to the stairs. "If we're ready we should probably head out... Limited time right?" he added somewhat awkwardly, frowning. Yeah...

 

Limited time. The others nodded, Mokuba shoving the binder under his arm with a determined if not nervous frown. "Yeah," he said somewhat nervously, looking over to the stairs before walking over to them. "We need to get going... Has it stopped raining?" he asked, Anzu nodding her head.

 

"A few minutes ago," she said, blinking as she moved from her chair to follow the boys. "We can use the umbrellas if it's started up again though... In any case," she said, turning to the others as they walked over. "Your decks are in your pockets now?" she asked somewhat warningly, Katsuya and Yugi both nodding in response. It would be no good if they left the things on the table after all.

 

The blond pulled his deck out, holding it up. "Yep, all set!"

 

"Ah... That reminds me..." The others turned to Yugi, the boy himself looking up at Katsuya. "Jonouchi-kun... Have you added any new cards to your deck since the Duelist Kingdom?" New cards? He turned, staring for a moment.

 

"Eh?" He smirked, shaking his head. "Hah! Nope... This deck has a lot of good monsters," he said with a grin, looking through it as he spoke. These cards were what got him through all those battles after all! "I don' really see much point in changin' it..." Though... He had yet to win against Yugi... And now Anzu was trashing him again too...

 

Yugi grimaced, crossing his arms. "I guess," he said with a shrug, biting his lip. "You should probably think of re-organizing it with some new cards though..."

 

Beside them, Mokuba as well nodded, before moving to head down the stairs with Honda and Anzu behind him. "He has a good point Katsuya-nii," he said with a frown, the blond in question following behind with Yugi. "If you just use the same cards all the time, it'll be too easy to tell how you're going to attack..." What? Man... ...No wonder Anzu kept beating him...

 

Honda snorted from the back, shaking his head. "Don't even bother trying to tell him that," he said 'wisely', before giving the blond behind him a smirk. "Jonouchi's the kind of guy who'll stick to a good thing until the very end when he finds it!" Wait, what the hell was that supposed to mean? "It'd be pointless to tell him otherwise!"

 

"O-Oi! Don't talk like I ain't here yah ass!" What was wrong with sticking with something good? That was why it was good wasn't it!

 

The teen laughed, he and the others coming out of the stairway and moving into the hall. "Well then try listening to people for once," he said with a smirk, Katsuya merely growling as the others laughed. Come on, them too?

 

"Aww c'mon guys," he muttered, running his hands through his hair and groaning. "So mean... Seriously..."

 

"But it's because we care Katsuya-nii~" The boy ducked a playful swipe from the blond, laughing as the others shook their heads.

 

"Yeah, you guys care alright," he said with a snort, shaking his head and pulling back with a mixed smirk and scowl. If Mokuba weren't eleven damn it... Hahhh. ...Now that he thought about the cards though... "Hey Yug'?" he asked, the boy turning to look up with a slight nod. "You re-did your deck then..? Y' cleaned it out an' put new ones in?" He'd thought Anzu updating hers was simply because she hadn't had the chance before Duelist Kingdom. Hearing that it was more recent than that however, made him curious.

 

Yugi nodded, hands holding his puzzle for the moment as Anzu and Honda busied themselves with finding the largest of the groups' umbrellas. Currently it looked as though they were all about the same size. Bringing them to an argument of which one was safer (Anzu's green 'frog' one) or 'less embarrassing' (Honda's worn out black one). Needless to say Honda's comment was not well taken, so Katsuya decided it'd be best if he just paid attention to what Yugi was saying.

 

"Un... Yeah! I kept my key monsters," Yugi said with another small nod, putting his puzzle down. "But the most of the other cards are new," he continued, turning to his puzzle. "I don't think that the same monsters can keep fighting in duels forever," the boy continued with a small smile, looking back up at Katsuya again. "So for the past few days, the other me and I have been going through our cards, refurbishing the deck." Hnnn...

 

Katsuya looked back to his deck, putting it back in his pocket with a nod. Even though Yugi probably didn't see what he did on the field, he knew without a doubt what his friend was getting at. Giving the monsters a break then eh? ...Huh... Maybe he should try a bit of card sorting himself, buy a few new cards...

 

He moved past the others and pushed the door open, looking outside and at the sky. It was pitch black, with what few stars were normally visible clearly out above them. The clouds were obviously gone. "Nnn... Alright," he said with a grin, turning back to the others and holding the door open for everyone. He stepped outside, leaning against the door and holding his arm out. "Skies are clear, no rain! Lets get goin'!"

 

Honda shrugged, tossing his umbrella back in the bucket in the hall while Anzu rushed outside herself. "Well, so much for that then," he decided, walking outside as well. It was pretty cold out there for obvious reasons; middle of January, it wasn't going to be that warm.

 

Despite the cold however they crowded outside with either their school jackets or in Mokuba's case a borrowed one, Yugi turning back as his grandfather waved them off from the door. "We'll be back soon, alright grandpa?" he said, the man merely nodding.

 

"Of course," Sugoroku with a small bow, looking down the street and turning back to the group with a small smile. "I wish you all luck."

 

The group nodded, turning to leave. "Yeah!" Yugi looked up at the others, before turning to Mokuba. "Alright," he said as the boy adjusted his grip on the binder. "Lead the way!"

 

Mokuba looked over the others, before nodding and moving past the others toward the direction he came from. "Right... Follow me," he shouted, before charging off down the now relatively empty and dark streets.

 

While crowds still filled the area, it was far easier to maneuver their way through now, the group forming a sort of clustered train as they shoved through the streets. Between conversation and focus, they would make good time.

 

"The company building should be closed down by now," he said as they ran, binder gripped tightly under his arm. "The gates will all be locked from the inside..."

 

Honda grit his teeth, frowning with the words. "So we're going to have to break in then," he asked, Anzu also frowning from beside them. Oooooh... He didn't have his picks on him either...

 

"That doesn't sound like it'll be too easy," Anzu said uneasily, shaking her head as they continued to run. "Your brother is pretty particular when it comes to security isn't he? It won't just be a matter of hopping a fence I don't think..."

 

The boy nodded in response, before answering. "That's right," Mokuba said, continuing to run as the others followed close behind. "But even though nii-sama did a security sweep," he continued with a slight frown, There's still a way in..." There was?

 

Other than just breaking in then? "Katsuya-nii?" Mokuba called, the blond blinking as they continued down the streets behind the boy. "Do you have your security pass on you?"

 

Katsuya stared for a moment, before nodding. "Yeah," he said with a blank and slightly confused expression. "'F course I do, it's th' only way I can get in th' house! But I thought that was all it was keyed into!"

 

He shook his head, the enormous tower that was Kaiba Corporation standing tall in the near distance as the others listened carefully. "Not really," he said seriously, slowing down as they came to the large crosswalk between themselves and the building. For the most part, they'd had a straight shot in terms of crossing streets. Most of the roads were fairly long, so this would be the first wait.

 

The boy looked up at Katsuya as they took a few moments to breathe, clarifying.

 

"Seto-niisama coded the security staff he left on hire at the house into the building here as well," he said with a small frown, Katsuya raising his eyebrows in response. "...Didn't he tell you Katsuya-nii?" The blond laughed quietly, a frozen and somewhat wry smile on his face. As a matter of fact...

 

"No," he said, turning away and continuing to laugh somewhat darkly. "No s-" Not she, not she... "No he didn't..." And something told him he knew why damn it.

 

The lights for the crosswalk changed over, the group running across the street before slowing to a stop at the gates. The barred doors were immense, and more than impossible to scale too easily. At the side however, was the familiar 'box' that was installed back at the mansion. Katsuya looked down at Mokuba, shaking his head for a moment before fishing around his pants pockets for his ID card. There it was, same emotionless face that had Honda in stitches for a few weeks after he'd first shown him the card... (As Anzu and Yugi both smiled somewhat...)

 

"Right... They won' be on our trail after I use this will they?" he asked, frowning somewhat. It would really suck if that was the case.

 

Mokuba shook his head, looking back at the gate. "Nope," he said confidently, turning back to the entrance. "When the gate opens, the card ID is logged automatically in a computer," he explained, continuing on, "But the log has to specifically be accessed to tell exactly who's coming in... After all," he said with a grin, looking up at the others with a small laugh. "If the card works, then obviously they're allowed in right? If they weren't, then whoever lost the card can be identified too!" And yet no one told him that he could use his card to get in here...

 

And he had a feeling it had to do with why Seto hadn't told him either. Hahaha... He pushed the thought from mind, nodding as he swiped his card across the gate lock. A small 'beep' came from the device, the light growing green as Katsuya watched the gate swing inward for them to enter. It seemed a little too easy, walking in with nothing happening. Really really easy, almost like they were waiting for him...

 

So that they could just end up trapped inside...

 

Honda appeared to notice the blond's uneasiness, throwing an arm around his shoulder with a grin. "Heyyy! Calm down man," he said with a smirk, the group walking in as Mokuba quietly led them around a more dark path to the 'back door'. Katsuya looked at his friend, expression somewhat blank as the teen went on. "It's better than trying to hack into Kaiba's security system isn't it?"

 

From ahead, Mokuba nodded, smirking. "Haha... And faster too," he said with a grin, Katsuya looking back to the boy while he ducked under Honda's arm. "If I started hacking into nii-sama's security system after what he did to it when he got back, I'd be stuck at that gate for fifteen minutes before it opened! And even then," he added with a more nervous laugh, "We'd probably trigger the alarms doing that..." That... That was a good point. He should stop complaining.

 

"Hahaha..." The blond scratched his head, before rubbing the back of his neck as they made their way around the building. Yeah... Erm. Oh well. They walked over to a small door, Mokuba looking back to Katsuya before moving to the side and gesturing to the lock. He shook his head, pulling the card out of his pocket again. "Kay... Somethin' tells me I should jus' leave this card out," he said with a nervous laugh, swiping it through as the door clicked open.

 

"Pretty much," Mokuba said with a grin, watching as the others began to file inside. "Ok... Now we need to be quiet in here," he whispered, looking down the currently dark hall. There were next to no lights still on inside the building, and even then, they were only tiny and distantly spaced 'lamps' for the sake of a small bit of safety. "Patrols go on regularly in the building after hours, especially in the basement rooms..." The basement? What?

 

"Why th' hell would they have issues in the basement?" Katsuya hissed, frowning as the door was quietly clicked shut behind them. The five slowly made their way down the hall, keeping to the walls as Mokuba looked around the next corner before moving on. "If it's all computers down there, wouldn' that make it even harder t' steal?" There was a light smack, the blond growling slightly before turning to the source. "T- Ow! Honda, what th' hell?"

 

Honda shook his head, rolling his eyes as they walked. "Idiot," he muttered, the group heading quietly down the hall as Mokuba looked around for the stairs. "It's a company that's built on technology, all someone would have to do is copy what they need to a flashdrive!" There was another pair of thumps, both teens wincing and groaning as someone else growled behind them.

 

"Will you two both shut up?" Anzu hissed, the two turning to meet the woman's glare with a flinch. "Mokuba said to be quiet, do you want us caught?" They both clammed up, sharing an annoyed look before the expression switched to a resigned sigh and they continued off. Alright alright, perfect silence... They'd keep quiet, no worries...

 

There was a loud creak as Mokuba held the door open, turning to the others as they winced and waving them over. "Alright," he whispered, gesturing to the stairs beyond the door. Unlike in the halls, there were no lights in there, save whatever the main-floor window and that of the doors to the hall left them. "Watch your step and follow me!" The group nodded, following the boy down as the door again echoed shut behind them. It was hard going, walking down the stairs in the dark. The railing was tightly gripped as they went down, passing the first basement floor in silence before stopping at the second.

 

'B-2'. The door was opened in tentative silence, Mokuba poking his head out before waving them over with a hurried nod. 'This way,' he mouthed, the others tiptoeing down the hall as the door was quietly shut behind them. The halls were completely black down there. There was the occasional light above a door to light the way however, and it only took a few moments before they found the room they were looking for. And all without running into a single person.

 

Damn they were lucky! "Alright," Mokuba whispered, looking at the number pad and biting his lip. "This is the room. Lets see..." Mokuba stared at the keys a moment, Katsuya looking at the pad himself. Out of all the keys, there were a few that were faded...

 

"Hnn... Whatever th' code is," he muttered, squinting as he looked at the pad, "It's gonna have a lot 'f '2's in it..." The others turned, staring at the seemingly odd statement.

 

"Er... 2's," Mokuba repeated quietly, looking back at the pad and narrowing his eyes.

 

He nodded, scratching his head. "Y-Yeah," he muttered, looking around the hall somewhat nervously. "Th' key's all smudged, so it's been used more than th' others..."

 

"Huh... That's pretty handy Jonouchi," Anzu said with a nod, blinking with slight surprise. "Where on earth did you learn that?" Er? Where?

 

...Ah... "Trust me," Honda said with a quiet laugh, watching as Mokuba punched something into the number pad before the doors hissed open for them to run in. "You really don't need to know the answer to that one."

 

Anzu gave the teen an odd look, Katsuya laughing nervously himself as they walked in. The lights were quickly flicked on from the side, the doors buzzing shut behind them with a loud clang. Including the manual 'pull shut' door, which had been hanging open on the inside. He rubbed his head, still laughing quietly as they moved into the large room. It was probably for the best that Anzu not know why he learned that trick.

 

They looked around, watching as Mokuba ran over to the computer for a moment to push in a few buttons. Large screens sat beside him, the one in the center turning on before he moved to pull the cables from the other smaller ones. "...Alright," he said as the others watched, before coming down and handing Anzu his binder. "You'll need page seven on hand," he said with a slight frown, the woman nodding in response. "It should have all the instructions on starting up the pods... Also," he continued, looking toward the door, "I put a code in to keep the doors from opening... But they could still push them in manually, so you might need to put up a barricade if worst comes to worst," he said with a wince. He glanced around briefly, before offering a pained smile. "...At least there's lots of stuff down here?"

 

The woman gave a somewhat wry smile, merely nodding while Honda moved over to the computer to look at the switches. "We understand," she said with a nod, before watching as the pods opened up with a hiss. Katsuya and Yugi both walked over, Yugi looking at the second pod and appearing to stare off into space for a few moments in silence before turning back to the others. "...Make sure you all come back safe, understand?" Anzu asked with a worried frown, holding the binder close before moving to sit with Honda at the computer. "If anything happens to you guys... I..."

 

"We'll be fine," Katsuya said with a nod, smirking. Hey... They couldn't get worried now, not when it was all or nothing right? If they stopped to think right now, they might not come back! "That's a promise," he added, turning back to the pod he was standing by. He kept his promises didn't he? And this would be no different. He pulled out his deck, looking at it a moment before turning back to the pod. Alright. Time to get in...

 

Mokuba as well moved over to his pod, pushing a key of sorts on the arm of it's 'chair' before dropping his sister's deck in a drawer that appeared from it. "Push the third button on the right," he told the other two, looking at them both from his far off pod. "The machine is programmed to ask for the deck automatically, but it's a little hard to reach the drawer once you're inside..." He and Yugi nodded, doing as Mokuba had said and watching as a small drawer appeared. Ok then... He dropped his deck in, watching the drawer retract and taking a large breath. This was it...

 

They all took a seat in their pods, Katsuya tensing slightly as the device abruptly began to lock around his body. "Gh-" Cold metal pushed against his shoulders, the blond attempting to turn his head only to be viced in by a helmet. "W-What th' hell..!"

 

"It's just the machine Katsuya-nii," Mokuba said with a slight shout, sounding somewhat faded thanks to the 'helmet'. "Just calm down, it's part of the game!" Yeah, but the game was also a death trap, it was kinda hard to relax with that kind of knowledge...

 

Nonetheless he nodded, watching as the glass for the pod itself closed over top of him. Damn this was claustrophobic he thought with a swallow, eyes wide as he stared forward. From where he was, he couldn't see the others. He couldn't hear anything either he realized with a frown, attempting to lean back against the seat and get somewhat comfortable. Having his uniform jacket on the side helped with that he supposed, but even so the 'chair' was just a little uncomfortable. The blond sat there, silence digging into his mind while he stared down at the dog-tags around his neck. He never did end up getting the nerve to ask Seto what they were made of...

 

Sure as hell hadn't asked anyone else if they'd have an idea, he'd probably have gotten a fair number of awkward looks... He didn't even have to _ask_ Mokuba to get raised eyebrows from him! They looked pretty damn expensive though.

 

Now that he thought about it, Anzu had mentioned her co-workers gushing about someone who came in and paid extra to have a quick engraving job done on some dog tags and a stuffed animal... And... Didn't Mokuba get a monogrammed-

 

"Ghn!" The blond froze, streams of light abruptly rushing across the black screen of glass before his eyes. What the hell? The lights continued to fill his vision, streaming across in what looked to be lines of code before blurring into nothing. What the hell was-

 

His eyes widened momentarily as something pressed against his neck and head, before slowly closing over as the cold feeling increased. This feeling... Wh... He felt pretty tired for some reason... Couldn't keep his eyes open...

 

Body felt numb...

 

No, it wasn't that he was numb he realized dully. It was more that he wasn't there. He couldn't feel anything... Not the chair he was in, not the air he was breathing (He was still breathing right?)...

 

Yet he couldn't feel scared about that, even though he knew he'd ordinarily be creeped out more than when he'd dueled Kotsuzuka. His eyes closed over completely, the sounds of his breathing dying out to his ears. He couldn't see... Feel... Hear... Couldn't even taste the roof of his mouth when his tongue pressed against it, if it was doing that even...

 

...Why was that...

 

* * *

 

...It was dark again.

 

"...What... What th' hell?" Katsuya slowly opened his eyes, blinking a few times before frowning at the darkness that sat around him. Nothing. There was nothing here, just an endless expanse of true darkness and... "Aw hell," he muttered to himself, rubbing his face as he closed his eyes for a moment. "Not this again..." Ok... Calm down Katsuya, this wasn't necessarily one of those creepy ass dreams he'd been having since Duelist Kingdom. Maybe it was something different! Something that wasn't scarily prophetic, like the last few.

 

Or just plain weird, like with the 'little Seto-chan' that had... Managed to materialize in Pegasus' castle. He should really stop thinking of that crap but hey, this wasn't a dream right? Although...

 

He frowned, staring off and making a mental list. Complete and total darkness... Check. It was definitely around and below him, given the weird floating feeling he had despite standing flat on his feet. Next up...

 

Cold. Sheer cold despite whatever the hell he was wearing. Also present, he thought as he rubbed his arms, before frowning and looking down at himself. What the-

 

His shirt and pants were-

 

...Was he naked? Seriously? ...And. ...And glowing? Naked and glowing? Alright! Weird crap! Definitely there! Three for three, he told himself with wide eyes, shaking his head. God damn it, did he fall asleep in the pod or something? This was the worst possible time for this...

 

Seriously...

 

_'Welcome,'_ a computerized voice above him stated, the blond looking upward with a jump. W-W-Wait...

 

That voice was new. ' _To Duel Monster Quest version 0.10_.' Er... Wait, so this was part of the program? "...What the hell kind of game is this?" he muttered, scratching his head as the computer continued on, ignoring his mutterings. Ask a bunch of questions, listen to the instructions, yadda yadda yadda... (Why the hell was he naked...)

 

Wait did it just ask for his name? He looked back up, bringing his arms back down. "Er... Jonouchi," he said with a shrug, leaning somewhat backward as he put his hands behind his head. There was no way in hell he was ever going with 'Joey' again. Never. Ever. Again. Not after Bandit Keith damn it... Completely ruined it for him.

 

The voice continued on about something else as he thought of this, before a series of panels appeared to spin around him. Oh hey... The blond blinked, watching as they stopped moving and hovered in place before him. ' _Please choose your battle class'_ , the computer stated, Katsuya merely staring. Huh. The classes. Er... He poked the first one, blinking as the other panels vanished behind the 'Warrior' one. ' _Thank-you,_ ' the computer said, Katsuya shrugging in response. Eh, whatever...

 

He was just trying to move through the game really. A few more panels showed up, a bunch of armor appearing before him. "Eh..." Hohhh... Here he thought he was done. Apparently he had some choice after all! Katsuya scratched his cheek, looking over his options. Leather and cloth, cloth and leather... He'd have picked the cool looking metal armor, but looking at how damn heavy it was...

 

And how many issues he'd had in that one bit of time where he'd been wearing his figurine's armor when he wasn't a figurine (That was weird)... "Shit, I won't be able t' run more than a few hundred meters in that," he muttered with a laugh before sighing. Alright then. He tapped the cloth one, smirking as the panels all vanished completely from sight. "Heh... This oughta work..." He blinked as the sudden feeling of cloth came over him, looking down at himself as a simple pair of breeches appeared on him along with a tunic. Huh...

 

Boots as well, a small sheath of sorts on his back. Didn't look like much, he'd have thought that armor would come with a bit more metal to it, cloth or not... Ah well. This was pretty comfortable really, so no big deal! He shrugged to himself, stretching slightly to get a feel of the outfit before frowning. Waaaaait, did that computer just say the game was beginning?

 

Right now? He looked down coughing as a large and dead looking wood began to come up through his vision, the darkness around him fading out into a large and cloud filled sky. "Ahhh shit!" The trees began to become more detailed, a few clouds passing him as he fell. "Shit!" The blond looked around, watching as the ground moved closer and closer. Shit, he was falling! What the hell kind of game was this, he only just started and already he was going to die!

 

...Wait why was he still standing? He blinked, stumbling slightly as he came to land on his feet on the ground. "Wooooahhh..." He tripped, shaking his head as he looked around. Man... He hadn't even hit the branches coming down he thought, looking up at the trees above. He'd just... Passed right through them, like he was a ghost. H-Hihhhh...

 

Scary... "...S-Shit," he muttered, looking at the withered and blackened trees around him with wide eyes as he brought his eyes to more 'ground level'. Numerous gashes lined the trees, each of variant height and depth. A cluster of shuriken were embedded deep into the side of one tree in particular, the ground singed completely, as though lightning had struck the place where he stood. There were even a few charred pieces of wood at one side he noted, the blond rubbing a finger along the charred wood and drawing back with a swallow. Still warm too, even though it was obvious that no one had been there for a while now. And the damage was all concentrated in once spot... "Shit... What th' hell happened here..."

 

"Nee-sama happened, that's what," a voice said from the side, Katsuya turning abruptly with wide eyes. Mokuba stood there, hands held behind his currently bandanna wrapped head before coming down to his sides as he walked over to inspect the damage as well. A cloak hung around his shoulders, making Katsuya just slightly jealous of the fact that all he really had to call his own was a simple shirt with leggings.

 

Attempting to scratch his head told him that there was a pretty awesome looking spear hanging on his back, so the feeling didn't last too long. And taking in the damage around them, that wasn't quite the point right now anyway. "Seto-chan was the 'source'?" the blond repeated with raised eyebrows, looking back at the charred wood and again swallowing. "Even f'r this?"

 

The boy nodded, frowning. "Yeah... Nee-sama managed to figure out the initial spell system," he said, crossing his arms in thought. "Her first card draw was a dud, so she had to fight using both that and her sword. That was her first attack against the thing that ended her game, the 'Armed Ninja'..."

 

"So then..." The others turned, blinking as Yugi stumbled to the ground himself with a slight frown. "That's the one we have to look for right?" He himself didn't look to bad either; aside from a simple tunic style shirt and shorts, the boy's ranger wear came with rather thick looking boots and gauntlets. Along with, of course...

 

His puzzle? Katsuya stared, shaking his head and looking again. It was gone! It was... Yugi appeared to pay it no mind, walking toward the other two as he continued.

 

"If Kaiba-san was last here and she was captured by that ninja, that must mean that we're going to be traveling along the same path she was taken on..." He turned around, looking down the cliff they stood on with a swallow. It was probably about ten, fifteen meters up really... Not a short distance. "Hnn... It doesn't look like this will be too easy," he muttered, scratching his head with a wince. "Mokuba?" he asked, turning to the others as they looked over the cliff as well. "What sorts of fights does this game have exactly?"

 

The boy blinked, before looking over the deckholder on his arm. Come to think, he had one as well... Looked pretty out of place to say the least. "Well," he began, blinking before turning back to them, "There are two options really... We can draw a card once per battle, and either use that or store it in a hand... There's a limit of seven, like the game," he added, looking to Katsuya and Yugi as the pair stared at their own disks. "From what I could tell while nee-sama was fighting however, we have to pay half of the monster's attack when we summon..." W-Wait, that much? "We also have to pay to cast spell cards but... Ahh..." He laughed, looking over to Katsuya. "Well.."

 

"W-What?" he said with a frown, blinking. "Is... Is there somethin' different in my case?"

 

Yugi grimaced, pulling a face and nodding. "The book said that the warrior class sacrificed all magic for strength," he explained, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't think you'll be able to cast any spells even with cards... I can't use traps myself, while it's the reverse for Mokuba..."

 

Awww hell that sucked. "Seriously?" He bit his lip, frowning as he fingered the spear his armor had come with before pulling it out. It was about a foot taller than him he'd say. The blade curved around to cover his hand, almost like some kind of giant curved dagger or axe stuck on a stick. Annnnd this was all he had. And his monsters. Which admittedly made up most of his deck but damn it, he still had good spells in there! "Crap," he muttered, rubbing his head with his free hand. "What th' hell do I do with any spell cards I pull out then?"

 

"Hnn..." Mokuba looked up, crossing his arms in thought. "You could probably toss them to us," he began, shrugging. "Actually, I think that as long as we use them right away, we can use each other's cards..." Oh. Well that was a bit of a relief anyways. The boys looked back down the side of the cliff, Katsuya swallowing and pulling back from the cliff's edge. Hooooo... Long way down.

 

"Heh, well... At leas' I can still use monster's or my spear," he said with a laugh, waving the staff in question before leaning on it somewhat. The others nodded, grinning.

 

"Haha! That's the spirit, Jonouchi-kun! Ah..." Yugi turned, blinking and looking questioningly at Mokuba. "That reminds me though... How does the combat system work for us?"

 

"Ahh... Basically," he said with a shrug, biting his lip, "We fight. From what I saw, it comes natural... Though we won't get any experience from a monster attack as opposed to our own attack... Ah, we'll still get lifepoints from each monster we beat though," he said quickly, looking at the others. "When we beat a monster, we get the same number that it had at defeat... When nee-sama beat the two-headed king rex," he explained, Katsuya briefly shaking his head at the image of Seto charging a giant purple dragon-thing, "She gained 1600 life points... I don't know how it'll work with three of us," he continued with another shrug, "But it should be similar."

 

They nodded, Yugi looking back down the cliff again. Hnn... This couldn't be anything compared to a giant purple dinosaur right? "Ok then," Yugi said, crossing his arms and staring down the side. "How should we get down to that cliff though..."

 

Mokuba frowned, looking down it himself before turning to the forest behind them. "I'm not sure," he said, shaking his head. "There should be some way around here... I mean, that kind of jump would be impossible otherwise and-" He froze, watching as Katsuya abruptly flew past and skidded down the cliff on his feet. "G- K-Katsuya-nii!"

 

"J-Jonouchi-kun!" Yugi shouted, staring as the blond skidded through a now developing cloud of dirt before landing safely at the bottom with a loud cheer. "Ah- ...It worked..."

 

"WHOOOO! YEA!" That was great! HAH! He looked up, grinning at the others and making room for the two to come down themselves. "Heh! I figured since Seto-chan took down a dinosaur, we'd have some sort of special ability in th' game!" Like say incredible cliff diving skills. Or something. Heh... The blond stretched, cracking his knuckles before leaning against his spear. "That was pretty fun actually... Hehehe..." Really fun... Hah!

 

The others blinked, sharing a look for a moment before turning back down. Should they jump down or... Finally Mokuba shrugged, shaking his head and following after Katsuya with a sort of skidding jog. "Hup!" Dirt flew through the air behind him, Yugi waving it out of his face before the dust cleared. He landed with a slight stumble, Yugi following behind in a similar fashion before scratching his head and looking back up.

 

"So..." They looked down the path, Katsuya visibly growing pale while the other two looked up at him worriedly. Tombstones littered the ground that had originally been mostly invisible from the top of the cliff, a heavy and thick layer of smog sticking to the ground before them. What trees remained were shadows of even those above on the cliff. White and dry husks that looked as though they would crumble with a mere tap. "...This must be the 'Graveyard' 'bonus' level we were trying to avoid," Mokuba said with a swallow, looking back to Katsuya.

 

"N-Nyhhh..." He shivered, shaking his head. Of all the places for them to come, why were they here! "D-Damn it," he muttered, shaking considerably, "What were th' chances of that!"

 

Yugi bit his lip, shrugging. "I suppose it makes sense," he said with a frown, taking a few steps forward through what had merely been a thick blanket of fog from above. "We did have to go down a cliff to reach it..."

 

Mokuba nodded, giving a somewhat sympathetic look to Katsuya. "Well... Think of it this way?" he said with a nervous laugh, rubbing his head. "More experience points right? We'll need all the strength we can get when we go against what took Seto-neesama right? So this might be for the better then!" Well... He guessed that was right...

 

He swallowed, nodding his head in an attempt to steel himself. "A...Alrigh'... I guess..." They started walking, the blond looking down at his deck holder nervously before looking back at the graves around them. "But if we run int' any monsters, there's a good chance it'll be zombies..." Particularly if this graveyard, which looked... eerily familiar to him...was home to the same ones Kotsuzuka had used...

 

H-Hihhhh...

 

"I don' think too many of my cards'll help against those..."

 

"Actually," Mokuba said with a wink, turning to the blond with those words, "I fixed that." The others blinked, staring owlishly at the boy as he explained. "I put a code into the program," he continued with a somewhat wicked smirk, crossing his arms. "It's simple enough to get rid of, since there wasn't time to put a firewall on it... But for now," he added with a grin, "We should be able to call our draws!"

 

So like... Just say what the card would be and pull it out? So... "...Y'mean cheat?" There was a nod as Mokuba continued walking beside them, Katsuya sharing a look with Yugi for a moment.

 

"Well," he said with a shrug, Katsuya blinking with minute surprise at the dismissive response, "Since the people we're up against are technically cheating, I guess it's only fair... The other me thinks so anyways," he added as he scratched his head, staring up briefly. Wait...

 

He was still talking to him without the puzzle there? But... How? Katsuya again nodded, turning to his friend to ask about that before tensing. Something on the air... Something was in the air, something familiar...

 

"...Hey... ...You guys smell that?" he asked lowly, staring ahead as the same acrid scent from the 'graveyard board' met his nose. Rotting flesh, bugs and bone... Moth eaten cloth, rusted metal and coppery blood... The others frowned, shaking their head as the area fell quiet. Great. Why was he always the first to smell this kind of crap, he thought with an involuntary shudder. The smell increased, Katsuya looking around at the graves around them and stopping in his tracks. Where... Where were the monsters... He could smell them, but where-

 

"GRNNNNNNN..." A loud squelching noise came through the air, followed by a deep growl as an enormous bony claw pierced the ground. Skeletal wings broke through the earth and the zombie dragon clambered from its grave, toppling the tombstones of those beside it as it exited the ground. And it wasn't alone.

 

The boys tensed, backs pressed against each others as they drew back, the sound of a low growl accompanied by hoarse and rasping laughter. From beneath the ground just a few paces away, a rotting clown with a scythe pulled itself through the dirt, appearing before them with a wicked toothless grin. It stood on it's worn yet still inflated ball with a manic cackle, twirling the scythe in its hand before leering down at its current opponents. And still there was another, Katsuya thought with a wince. Still another for the god-damned 'immortal zombie trio' he'd seen before!

 

A third sound came through the air, soil pushed from the front of a grave as a rusted and worn blade was tossed out. Bony arms followed after, an ancient and worn samurai with nothing to call a face save its skull pulling itself from the ground and turning toward them with endlessly empty eye sockets. God damn it why did it have to be zombies. WHY. "Gh... S-Shit," Katsuya muttered, holding his spear out before him and swallowing. "S-So... What was that y' said about 'top-decking' Mokuba?"

 

There was no answer, the boy merely running forward with a hand on his deck. "No time, just watch" he shouted, facing the zombified warrior with a frown. "Without looking at the card, call your draw! Rude Kaiser!" There was an odd sound as his lifepoints dropped, the monster appearing to Mokuba's aid in a shimmer of dust and light. Scaled and as lizard-like as ever the beast drew his blades, charging forward and cutting down the zombie warrior in a flash of light. Lifepoints increased again, the other two zombies looking over their fallen comrade before chuckling darkly.

 

An odd green mist filled the air- Rude Kaiser turned to look back at the corpse he'd destroyed, eyes widening as the pieces began to reassemble.

 

"H-Heh..?" Mokuba swallowed, stepping back as the other two quickly came to his side. In a flash of steel the Rude Kaiser was gone, Mokuba's well earned lifepoints cutting down instantly. The alligator-like monster's body collapsed to the ground to vanish into a mist... And the samurai appeared slightly larger than it had before. "What..!"

 

The blade was turned on Mokuba in just an instant, Katsuya jumping in front of the boy to block the strike with his spear tip. "Gh-... I played against a guy who used these," he said with a grunt, pushing back the blade of the samurai before hurriedly moving to block another strike from the clown as it came forward. The dragon in the meantime had successfully drawn Yugi's attention, the boy dodging a number of 'stomping' attempts from the beast with wide eyes. "Normal attacks don' work!" he continued, slicing through the clown and watching the pieces bowl away on the ball before slowly reassembling. Shit, here it came again... "They jus' come back even stronger! Y' can't kill them!"

 

"W-What!" Mokuba and Yugi shared a look from behind gravestones as they narrowly avoided a blast of acidic slime from the dragon, Katsuya turning back slightly as he continued to block the attacks. This wasn't working...

 

Again he was forced to send the clown back, managing to but its ball back along the ground as opposed to simply killing it. "Look... You guys need t' get outta here!" he shouted, attempting to push the onslaught of zombies back yet again. Constant moaning was grating at his ears, worm eaten flesh staring him in the face as he attempted not to puke. God damn these things were creepy... So damn creepy... The scent was burning his nostrils, and it was taking all he could to just hold his breath and not pass out. "I'll hold 'em off for a bit," he continued loudly, attempting to reassure himself as metal clashed against rusted metal, "But until then..."

 

Yugi swallowed, frowning from where he and Mokuba were ducking behind a stone slab. "Jonouchi-kun," he said as he and Mokuba backed up somewhat, before they themselves were forced to dodge a second blast of acidic smoke from the zombie dragon. The gravestones melted into a mere sludge, and they both looked over at Katsuya with wide eyes. "Jonouchi-kun," the boy repeated, he and Mokuba keeping a careful eye on the dragon as it lumbered forward. "Didn't you have a card that stopped them? You beat Kotsuzuka last time didn't you?" Back against Kotsuzuka? Ah-

 

That was right, he had- "Gh-... AH-CK!" The blond fell back, spear cut in two and his arm faring just as badly as it bled. S-Shit... Just a moment of distraction and that was all it took. He gripped the half of the spear that still held a blade, cutting half-blind at the monsters as they came near again. "Gh..." Shit it stung... Oh man it stung, he thought as he gripped his arm. They had to end this, now! The card. He couldn't use the spell but... "Tch... Shield and Sword!" he shouted, pulling the card from his deck holder and tossing it to the others as he took a few steps away from the monsters again. "Yugi," he called, ducking under a strike from the zombie clown before rolling out of it's way when it opted to simply attempt steamrolling him. "Go for it!"

 

The boy nodded furiously, dodging another blast from the dragon as he caught the card in his hand. "Alright," he shouted, holding the card toward the monsters as Mokuba charged out of the way when the dragon attempted a more physical approach yet again. "Shield and Sword!" he called, voice reverberating around the graveyard. The card vanished into dust, and in its wake the result was instantaneous; the blades of the samurai and clown both rusted away to nothing, handles clattering to the ground pointlessly. The clown's large ball deflated, leaving the zombie to struggle to its feet while the dragon at the other end of the field merely collapsed to an even slower crawl than it already had.

 

And as they stood there, the monsters looking over their defenseless forms, Katsuya gripped his spear top with a wicked smirk. "Hehehe... Try this f'r size," he said with a grin, charging forward. Pay back time! "Hah!" It was more than simple to slice the head of a zombie when he knew it wouldn't come back. With a single 'whoosh' sound, followed by a thunk, the zombie warrior was long gone, helmet clattering to the ground along side its worn and filthy skull. He turned to deal with the clown, only to blink as Mokuba twirled his dagger from where the clown's corpse was vanishing into dust. Huh. Already dealt with eh...

 

"Hahah..." Mokuba sheathed his dagger, looking from the corpse back to Katsuya. "This is kinda like the Monster World," he said with a grin, rubbing his head. "Except not as creepy... Maybe nee-sama will keep developing the game after all this is over..."

 

Katsuya shivered somewhat, shaking his head. Personally, as scary as the 'Monster World' was, he preferred those monsters over the zombies a lot more. He sighed, smirking nonetheless before paling as a shadow loomed over them. "...Aww hell," he muttered, looking up as the enormous and very much alive zombie dragon ambled over and above them. "Shit," he muttered, looking down at his spear while Mokuba looked at his dagger. Not exactly 'dragon destroying' material really... "This is gonna s-"

 

- _fffpt!_

 

The boys blinked, looking up and hurriedly running back somewhat as the enormous dragon collapsed to the ground with an echoing thump. Looking at the great beast's head as it slowly dissolved they swallowed, staring at the three arrows embedded deep into the monster's fragile skull. The two turned, watching as Yugi shouldered his bow with a grin. "Hah... You didn't think I wouldn't help did you?" Of course they didn't think that he'd stay back! It was just weird, seeing him take out a dragon that was about twenty plus times their size...

 

Haha...

 

The boy walked over, brushing a bit of dirt from his pants before looking at them with a worried smile. "...Rangers are better for long-range attacks... Sorry if I surprised you guys," he said with a nervous laugh.

 

"Ahh, it's fine," Katsuya said with a shrug, throwing an arm around the boy's shoulder. "I'm jus' glad y' didn't try taming one of these guys," he added with a shudder. Yugi gave a small laugh in response to that, before the boys abruptly froze. Just seconds after the immense dragon fully vanished, a glass 'screen' of sorts appeared before their eyes.

 

"E-Eh!" Katsuya jumped, pulling away from Yugi as the screen began to flash with numbers.

 

"What the-" Mokuba jumped slightly as well, before watching as the dirt and filth from the battle cleaned itself off of their armor. "Ah!" The boy blinked, before turning his attention back to the 'screen'. "This is the stats menu," he said with slight surprise, turning to the others as he continued. "We all gained two levels already," he continued with wide eyes, the others nodding in response.

 

"It must be because we defeated three monsters at once," Yugi said with a blink, watching as the menu vanished. "If we keep fighting, we should be able to learn more skills as well..." Wowwww... Two levels in one shot, that was pretty...

 

Wow... The taller of the three nodded, looking over his magically repaired spear before putting it in the holster on his back. "Heh... So long as we don' have t' deal with that again," he muttered, before looking at his arm. He couldn't see much damage from the outside but...

 

He pulled his sleeve back, biting his lip as he looked over the slice on his arm. Though not bleeding, the strike from the zombie warrior had clearly left it's mark, leaving a large bloodied gash along the side of his arm.

 

"D-Damn," he muttered with a wince, swallowing. "First few minutes 'f th' game and I'm already hit..." Lifepoints took a hit too. From the insane number he had after destroying the clown, he was now sitting at 1860.

 

Yugi looked over the arm himself, Mokuba as well looking before wincing. "Ah... That can't be good," the older of the two said with a frown, biting his lip and looking back up at Katsuya. "I can't tell if the injuries are too much for the lifepoint drop or not," added Mokuba, still staring at the wound with a grimace.

 

Katsuya mimicked the expression as well, pulling the sleeve back down with a grim nod. "Hihhh... Tell me about it," he said with a wince, before looking at where the corpses of the zombies had vanished. At least his arm didn't hurt any more and- "Ah- Hey... There's somethin' by where th' bodies were!"

 

The others turned, Mokuba walking over to the pile as three cards hovered in place above the 'corpses'. "Ah... This must be the drop item," he said, hesitantly grabbing the card before a menu appeared before all three of the boys. Numbers flashed, all three tensing slightly before the menu vanished. "Fifteen gold..."

 

"Five for each monster," Yugi added with a nod, before turning to the others. "We can probably use this for better weapons and armor if we find a store," he added, watching as they nodded in response. That sounded like a good idea, given how fast his spear had given out.

 

"The menu is probably voice activated," Mokuba muttered, moving over to them again as he sheathed his dagger. Eh? What was that about the menu? "It's probably a good idea to look over the menu next chance we get," he continued seriously, "Just to make sure we aren't bad off, or that we haven't missed any possible upgrades..."

 

Katsuya nodded, crossing his arms and looking down at his deck holder. Not going up... Though the zombies didn't have any attack points so that was probably the reason. In any case... "That's probably a good plan," he said with another nod, before frowning as he recalled the series of numbers on the 'menu'. "A lil' weird havin' two counters f'r things though..."

 

The others looked at their deck holders at that, nodding in agreement. Despite the confusion, it almost made sense. Like the holder was their own personal 'hitpoints' bar. Though the thought of what would happen when those 'hitpoints' ran out was more than disturbing...

 

Thankfully before anyone could voice their opinion on that a small bell-like chime came through the air, the others turning as it echoed through the clearing air. "Nh?" The blond blinked, moving over to the side as the chiming continued. Behind some of the intact tombstones... "What's that sound?" He walked closer, frowning as a small glow came from behind one. "...Heh?"

 

"M- _Mnn!_ " He jumped back, a small spray of power and light smacking him in the face as small muttering came from behind the tombstone he was inspecting.

 

Dust flew in his eyes, Katsuya squeezing them shut and attempting to clear them with a shout. "Ack! What th' heck!" He shook his head, blinking rapidly as his vision cleared to the source of the 'attack'. Just a small, tiny little figure dressed in a blue sleeper, complete with hat. Not to mention fairly large wings on its back, which were probably what gave it away. "Ah... A fairy?"

 

The others walked over, Yugi and Mokuba both watching as the fairy cringed and hid further behind the tombstone. It looked kinda cute actually... for a tiny little guy with wings. That glowed. Looked pretty nervous too...

 

Hey what was that about fairies and games again? "Ah! Of course!" He turned to the others, grinning. "In games, fairies normally have advice of sorts... We can probably ask this little guy for help!" He looked back at the fairy in question, only to jump back as it blasted past his face with a loud cry.

 

"Nmnnn!"

 

Gold and sparkling dust erupted in their faces, filling the air as the fairy flew from the spot. He kept his eyes open despite the urge to rub the dust out, turning with a shout. "O-Oi!" They stumbled, watching as the fairy tore off down a nearby path before running after it. "Wait up!" the blond called, chasing after while the others followed close behind. "We jus' need some help," he continued, trees and cliff-sides blurring behind him as a small trail of sparks and dust hovered ahead of him. Had he paid attention, he would have noticed the forest growing less and less dead. Eyes continued to remain trained on the glittering fairy however, and so it passed unnoticed. "Wait!"

 

He stopped running, grabbing his knees as they came to a large and clear outcropping that sat high above the expansive forest. The trail of dust went over the side, and looking down... Well, he could see the tops of what were likely fifty meter tall trees really, so that was a bad idea. "Damn," he muttered, scratching his head as he looked down with a swallow. "Lost it..."

 

"I don't think we'll be able to slide down this cliff," Yugi said with a nervous laugh, looking down the side as well. "I guess we'll just have to follow the path..."

 

The two boys nodded, before Mokuba's voice caught their attention. "Hey," he called from his position down the path, pointing to the side "Look!"

 

They both turned, staring in the direction that the boy was pointing in with wide eyes. "Ah... A town," Katsuya muttered, standing up from where he'd been kneeling at the cliffside. "Pretty far away but..."

 

That was definitely a town out there.

 

"Hah..."

 

"It's probably our best shot at finding Kaiba-san," Yugi said seriously, moving a bit down the path and squinting as the sunlight peaked through the clouds above. "Someone in the town might have some information we need to complete the game... Or even find Kaiba-san herself," he continued, looking to the others. In that case, what was distance but... Well... Distance?

 

"Alrigh' then," Katsuya said with a nod, staring down the path with a grin. "What are we waitin' for? Let's get movin'!" Mokuba and Yugi both nodded, following after the blond as well.

 

"Right," the younger said with a smirk, rushing past the blond at his own steady jogging pace. "Lets go!"

 

* * *

 

It took a long time before she managed to open her eyes again. Dimly she could recall passing through a desert of sorts, before a sudden jolt shut her down again. Her entire body was still trembling from the electricity, fingers even giving a numb twitch. She felt tired... She felt weak. "Nnnnn..." And extremely warm. Hot actually. The heat was almost blistering, and as she opened her eyes somewhat she could make out a red and flaming glow along side a stone wall in front of her. How far was it... Three meters, four maybe?

 

Seto's eyes slowly opened entirely, the woman attempting to move her arms only to freeze as she woke up completely. Something was holding her. Her feet weren't touching the ground and she was pressed against something, so... "Gh- What the..." She turned her head, eyes widening as thick ropes came into her view. They wrapped tightly around her arms, fixing them to a thick stone 'arm' that stretched behind and down like some sort of giant English letter 'T'. Stone. They had her tied to stone...

 

She attempted to move her arms, only to find herself hanging limply on the stone cross with a scowl. "Tch..." Great. She was tied to a rock in the middle of what looked to be a volcano. "Where the hell is this..."

 

"Ahhh, Seto Kaiba-sama," a voice called from in front of her, the woman looking forward as a shadowed portal appeared on the ground. Darkness spiralled out from a small circle on the ground and slowly a monster misted into existence before her, dressed in a violet suit and cap with narrowed green eyes. ' _Majin Satan'_ , she realized as the gold-skinned demon brushed some hair from his face. Or as the card in the USA had coined him, 'The Witty Phantom'.

 

And apparently she had the luck of getting him for a jailer. Damn it.

 

"So nice to see you've finally woken up," the demon said with a toothy grin, gloved hands pulling his cap over his head as he bowed. "I must say you've given us quite the surprise..." Of course. "I assume you like your quarters?" he said with an echoing shout, Seto minutely looking down at the lava below them in disdain. Eh. They could have put her in worse really... "Only the best for the great Seto Kaiba," he said with a grinning sneer, the woman looking back at him with an unimpressed stare.

 

Seto merely held a glare, hanging from her position with narrowed eyes. "So I see," she said with equal sarcasm, fists clenched against the tight hold of the rope. These ropes were far too tight... They really wanted her stuck to this rock, didn't they? "I'd demand release," she continued with a frown, "But something tells me that that would go against your programming, wouldn't it?" The woman continued to narrow her eyes, the phantom across from her merely smirking in response.

 

"Ahhh yes, but of course," he said with a dark chuckle. "You are right to guess that... And after all, you know everything don't you?" the phantom continued, pacing around the two stone crosses with his arms behind his back. The woman before him merely watched with a blank frown as he walked, still talking as he went. "Absolutely everything... About this world that you are now trapped in, about all of 'us'... An interesting thing," the demon added with a menacing grin. "Not only am I programmed to keep you here, but this entire game was created to prevent you from getting any further than that graveyard! Even if you'd beaten the armed ninja," he said with a laugh, "You would have been captured! Be it by a monster, or by the will of God himself..."

 

"A God you say?" the woman said with narrowed eyes, smirking darkly. Oh please... As though that would have worked. She certainly wouldn't be sitting here for much longer... "And you think that this digitized 'god' of yours will be enough to hold me here?"

 

The Witty Phantom smirked, bowing low from where he stood by the second cross. "But of course," he said with a small laugh, stopping in his pacing to stand a few meters away from his captive. "Even if the Five God Dragon lacks a physical form after all, his will is our own..." 'Five God Dragon'? Seto frowned, minutely running the name through her head. That monster, what was it...

 

It was one of the newer monsters, she knew that much...

 

"Speaking of the Five God Dragon," the phantom stated with a grin, razor sharp teeth giving a crocodile's smirk. "An interesting thing... To appease the dragon and allow his return, we require a pair of virgin sacrifices... One male," he stated, Seto continuing to glower before the monster as it drew close. "And one female... Now I had assumed that we had our male sacrifice," he said with a grin, drawing close enough for his acrid breath to sting the woman's nostrils as her eyes widened with anger. "But imagine my surprise," he continued, bringing a hand toward the woman's cheek as his captive clenched and bared her teeth in disgust, "When I found out that we already had our woman?" Tch...

 

Get away from her! A loud crack filled the air, the demon quickly thrown to the side by a well placed kick slamming into the beast's skull. He hadn't been too close after all... A knee to the jaw, and a heel to the cheek and the 'Witty Phantom' was on the ground holding his face.

 

"Hn..." She spat at where the demon lay, watching as he slowly stood up to look at her with disbelieving rage. "You forgot to tie my legs, 'Phantom'..." She continued to glare, watching as the demon slowly cracked and adjusted his jaw before glaring at the woman.

 

"You," he muttered with wide and rage filled eyes, receiving nothing but a steady and cold glare in response. "Tch! Enjoy what little freedom your body has," the demon spat, snapping his fingers as a shadowed portal appeared beneath him. "It's only a matter of time before the second sacrifice arrives," he shouted, stepping into the portal and vanishing from sight as his last words echoed around the room. "And the both of you are immersed in lava to appease God!"

 

Seto merely glowered, watching as the demon vanished into wisps of shadow to leave her hanging on the rock. Hn... Good riddance, she internally muttered to herself, attempting to stretch somewhat before tensing. Seto stared, narrowing her eyes as from her 'menu' screen the stats menu appeared again, familiar band of 'glass' coming from in front of her eyes. ' _Remaining experience to Level 3,'_ the device stated blankly, Seto merely staring silently. ' _152 of 1200_ '. Up... Her experience had gone up.

 

As the heat from below beat at her and pounded her into exhaustion, a wicked smirk had to appear on her face, even as her head slumped forward in an attempt to find some rest. "Hnhnhnhnhn..." They could hold her there as long as they liked...

 

She wasn't out of this game just yet.

 


	3. Yell Omens

 

Watching the screen of the 'game' so to speak was fairly interesting, even if everything took the form of small simplified pixel sprites. It had taken a moment for anything to really happen once the game started of course; all they'd really seen was information slowly filling a profile that held a '?' in the place of a sprite body, things such as name and class slowly appearing on each profile. Needless to say, with that going on they had ample time to look through 'page 7' as Mokuba had asked them to.

 

"Alright," Anzu was saying from the book, skimming the page with a blank expression. It was mostly text; the only image on it was a copy of the 'control center' they sat at, numerous numbers along side the buttons to match with a list below it. "It looks like the monitors on the computer," she stated, gesturing to the small screens built into the control center, "Are keeping track of everyone's health..."

 

Honda looked over the monitors in question, nodding as he watched a small line scoot across all three screens. Now that they'd entered their names, the status monitors were a fair bit easier to tell apart; Yugi's was in the center, Mokuba's on the top, and... "Jonouchi's heart rate is pretty normal," he said after a moment, looking at the bottom with slight surprise. "I'd have figured this kind of thing would scare the shit out of him really..." What with being tossed into a giant computer and all. Weird things tended to bug Jonouchi really...

 

"Well," Anzu said with a shrug, "It's not as though they're fighting a horde of zombies or anything..." She flipped a page, before turning back to the large screen. "We'll get a view of what they're doing in game on the screen there," she continued, watching as the three profiles flashed for a 'final check over'. The woman blinked, watching as slightly more detailed views of the sprites came on screen. "Ah..." She continued to stare, watching as the profiles flashed briefly above a loading menu. "Yugi's puzzle is gone..."

 

The teen beside her turned, blinking at the small 8-bit of their friend. As with everyone else the outfit was different. But somehow, simply not seeing the puzzle there felt a little... Weird. Possibly wrong even.

 

"Hey, you're right... Man," he muttered, looking back at the pod that held their friend in question. "Hope that doesn't cause any issues," he continued with a swallow, frowning. "Those two are pretty much inseparable. To split them up without warning..." Well... Who knew what that could do. The two shared an uneasy glance for a moment, before looking back at the screen as a large forest of sorts appeared. The scene looked just a little barren. A patch of black on the ground and trees, and to start only Jonouchi's sprite had appeared.

 

"Ah," Anzu said as the other two followed soon after. "The game's starting," she said with a blink, watching as the three sprites appeared to simply amble around for a moment.

 

They were turned in toward each other, standing in place. Occasionally, one would turn and appear to do something. But other than that, they were left to guess what was going on on the board.

 

"I wonder what they're saying," she muttered, Honda shrugging beside her as he shook his head.

 

"Who knows," the teen muttered, sitting back in his chair again with a worried look on his face. "Though it's probably best that we don't know," he continued, crossing his arms from his seat. "If we can't tell, then the Big 5 shouldn't be able to figure it out either right? So whatever plans they make can stay secret then." That was true. In any case...

 

Anzu continued watching the screen, the sprites jumping down the side of a cliff and continuing on. Huh... They were almost cute to say the least. Wait. "...Uh-oh," she muttered, eyes widening as the scenery on screen shifted to that of a graveyard. What were once somewhat large if not bunched together trees were now... Well, they were definitely withered. "I think they found that level they were trying to avoid..."

 

Honda as well winced, biting his lip as a trio of pixelated zombies appeared on the screen as well. "Along with what's supposed to show up in that level..." Beeping behind them increased, the teen rubbing his head and turning to look at the bottom monitor as 'R waves' quickly began shortening the gaps between each other. "And there goes Jonouchi's heart rate..."

 

It was quite clear that the three on three line-up on the screen was not doing the actual event any justice... At all. The two continued to watch, looking at the screen with near identical worried frowns. A standard 'RPG style' battle began to unfold on the screen, turn based actions flying across at top speed. It was weird, watching something that their friends were technically experiencing in person as the equivalent of an old NES game. What would be next, over-world travelling?

 

Anzu sighed, crossing her arms and leaning back on her chair. "...How long do you think they'll be in there?" she eventually asked, watching as Jonouchi took a direct strike from the zombie clown.

 

"...I don't know," Honda said with a frown, shaking his head. On the screen, the image of a card flashed across the screen, tiny 'attack/defense' numbers flipping around above the zombie's heads. "I mean, even Yugi needs time to get through a game right? And he's pretty much the king of games really..."

 

Yeah... That was true. Anzu nodded in response, still staring at the screen before Honda spoke up again.

 

"Hey," he said with a slight smirk, sitting up from his chair. "Cheer up alright? They'll get through this... ...Want to talk about something while we wait?" he continued, leaning against the computer. Anzu merely turned, blinking from where she'd been reading the manual. "I could tell you about my first crush," he said with a shrug, the woman merely snorting in response.

 

"Your first crush was Miho," the woman said with a somewhat amused smile, "I think we all know how that went..." It involved a puzzle... And the teacher's face to say the least.

 

Honda 'pouted' somewhat, before shaking his head. "Ahhh... You don't know that," he said with a slight frown. "Right. What about... My essay for Japanese? We could talk about that..."

 

Anzu raised her eyebrows, looking up from the binder again. "You actually wrote an essay for that class?" That was...Surprising.

 

He frowned, arms still crossed. "Of course I did!" There was a small span of silence, and he gave a slightly defeated shrug. "...I just don't get the best marks on them, that's all..." Anzu continued looking with raised brows, Honda leaning back on his chair again before explaining. "It was for the career assignment... I called it 'My Dream is to Become a Pilot'..."

 

A-huh... The woman shook her head, turning back to the binder. "I think I'll pass... As 'interesting' as it sounds," she said with a slight frown, "I don't think now is really the time..."

 

Honda gave a shrug in response, turning to look at the screen again before sounds began coming from outside. The noises against the door quickly increased in volume, the two turning to look at it with wide eyes before sharing a hurried and panicked glance.

 

"...That doesn't sound good..."

 

"Crap," Honda muttered, standing from his chair as the 'hammering' continued. "They're here already?" The sounds from outside increased still further as the 'first' was joined by what was likely two others, both teens running from the computer desk as the binder clattered to the ground.

 

"I guess we'll be barricading the door faster than we thought," Anzu muttered, grabbing a large box from the side and pulling it over in front of the door as it threatened to push forward.

 

"A hell of a lot sooner!" Honda added with a shout, pushing what looked to be a failed 'bottom half' for a pod in beside the box. "Do you think any of this will hold?" A few more boxes were shoved against the door, before the two both moved to grab more boxes from the side of the room to add to the barricade.

 

"I don't know," Anzu said with a slight shout as calls to open the door came from the other side of it. "But I'm pretty sure we're going to find out really soon!"

 

* * *

 

It was a long walk down the side of the cliff. Or at least it felt that way going down. Katsuya couldn't really tell, but they were just busy trying to reach the town anyways, running as quick as they could to do so. After all- limited time right?

 

"We should probably watch for monsters," Yugi was saying as they ran, Mokuba nodding from ahead of the two. "I don't think we'll see anymore zombies," he added with somewhat rushed breath, "But who knows what might attack next!"

 

"Got it," Katsuya shouted, the trio continuing at a relatively quick pace through the woods. Upon leaving the graveyard, the scenery had freshened up fairly quick to say the least; for the moment they were running down a long dirt path with tall green pine trees on either side. "How long do you think it is from here to the town?" the blond asked, eyes trained on the two running ahead of him.

 

Mokuba shrugged, turning his head back a moment before answering. "I don't know," he said with a slight frown, before turning back. "It looked pretty far from on the cliff... But I can't tell with all these trees here," the boy added, the path taking a quick turn down a corner as they ran. Yeah, that tended to put a bit of a damper on things...

 

Particularly when there was no map. "Right... Well," he said with a slight laugh, continuing to run with a grin, "At least we ain't runnin' outta breath righ'?"

 

The others nodded, smiling in response. "That's right," Yugi said with a grin, looking back at Katsuya. "I guess that our stamina was increased along with our agility... It's kind of weird actually," he said with a nervous laugh, scratching his head before picking up his speed. "In the real world, I'd have had to stop by now but... Well..." He laughed again, shaking his head. "I feel like I could keep running for hours! It's amazing!"

 

There was a sudden rustling noise, the three skidding to a stop as growling came from around them. "Er... Y' might wanna re-think those words," Katsuya said with a nervous laugh, before looking around the clear path they were on with narrowed eyes. Despite the bright, sunlit skies above, the scenery seemed to almost have darkened with that noise. Looking around, though they didn't see anything, they could certainly hear. "Somethin' tells me stayin' put is a better idea righ' now..."

 

Mokuba and Yugi both looked around with equally expectant looks, the three boys all bringing their deck holders up as the rustling sounds increased yet again. Suddenly... Silence. The three swallowed, waiting with baited breath for what ever was following them to appear. Two seconds... Three seconds...

 

"GRNNNNAAAOO!" From all sides they appeared, large eyes narrowed with feral rage The three stared, watching as what looked to be three kuriboh faced them, fur bristling as they faced their opponents. Katsuya blinked, before smirking at the sight. "Heh... This won' be too bad," he said with a grin, pulling his spear out and looking at the Kuriboh. "We'll be done in-"

 

"GRAA _AOOOOOO! RAAAAAOOOOO_!" The three tensed as a loud roar pierced the air, eyes turning upward as nervous swallows became audible. "Er... ...I take that back," he muttered, Yugi and Mokuba both gaping at the beast. The kuriboh grinned, large and razor sharp teeth bared from underneath their fur as a large shadow hovered above the group. The boys looked up, swallowing as a great black-scaled dragon flew overhead, enormous wings blocking the sun from sight for a moment before it landed just behind the trio of kuriboh. Burning red eyes stared the boys down, the dragon rearing back on its legs to let loose a red hot stream of flames into the air. "G _RAAAAAOOOO_!"

 

"Ah... It's Red-Eyes!" Yugi said with a shout, before looking at his deck holder. It was one draw per battle right? The boy looked back at the dragon, eyes narrowed just slightly with determination. "Right! Dark Magician," he shouted, reaching for his deck to pull the card. Lights flashed on the disk as he did so however, the boy freezing completely as another voice came over the air.

 

" _ERROR,_ " the computerized voice they'd been introduced to the game with called, the three looking up for a moment before Yugi looked back at his deck holder and card. " _CARD UNAVAILABLE. ERROR_ ," it continued, Yugi paling visibly at the sight of his draw, " _CARD UNAVAILABLE_."

 

Katsuya watched as Yugi's card, briefly revealed as the 'Multiply' spell vanished from sight, simply turning into dust from where it sat in his hands. "W-What," he said with wide eyes, Mokuba as well gaping at the sight. "I thought th' top-deck code was..." Why didn't he pull out the Dark Magician?

 

"Gh... The Big 5 must have already gotten to it," Mokuba said with a wince, pulling out his own card biting his lip. For the split second they could see the card it revealed itself as the spell 'Quick Attack'...

 

Just as quickly however it vanished, Mokuba swallowing and turning to Katsuya as the blond looked at his own deck holder. "We're going to have to rely on whatever the deck gives us," he continued with wide eyes, Katsuya pulling out his own card before clenching his jaw.

 

"Damn," the blond muttered, 'Trap Hole' vanishing as he adjusted his grip on his spear. Three kuriboh were easy enough. But while Red-Eyes appeared to have contented itself with simply showing off to start, it looked more than ready to attack now, and that was not going down easily. "Looks like we get to fight th' traditional way!" he shouted while the others nodded, each of them pulling out their own weapons to jump out of the way of a blast of red-hot and burning black flames.

 

The three didn't need to look back to know that the fires had singed the ground where they once stood. It was something they didn't need to know for the moment; that was how battle worked. "Hraah!" The kuriboh growled, mouths wide open as they attempted to strike at the group's limbs. One flew at one's arm, another at the other's legs. But with a mere flash of light they were dealt with, one by Mokuba's dagger through its skull, another cut clean in two and already vanishing from sight after being split by Katsuya's spear. The third one fell as well, Yugi piercing the beast through with two arrows before it succumbed, the three turning on Red-Eyes with grit teeth. Lifepoints increased by 300...

 

But the battle wasn't over just yet. The dragon was huge, and it knew it. Entire trees had fallen in its wake as it landed, almost skeletal form standing on its rear legs with an ear-splitting roar. The dragon's tail swished angrily as it stared down its opponents, and by the time it had passed behind it once, the entire area was cleared.

 

"Here goes nothing," Mokuba shouted as the dragon bared its fangs, before he and Katsuya charged toward it. "Lets go!" Yugi bit his lip, pulling a few arrows and jumping to stream of flames before shooting each one toward the beast. Mokuba and Katsuya were having a little less luck themselves; though Yugi had managed to pierce the soft and vulnerable tissues of the dragon's eye, the thick black scales proved nigh impossible for them to cut. Mere clanging noises came from the blades as they struck, the two sharing a wide-eyed glance beneath the dragon before turning to where their friend stood.

 

"Yugi!" Katsuya shouted as he and Mokuba attempted to avoid being stepped on by the beast, quickly ducking as it's tail swished toward them. A reverberating 'thud' sound echoed as the dragon stomped on the ground, the two pulling themselves to their feet after being knocked back by the shock-waves. "We ain't having much luck here!"

 

"Nh... Hang on guys," he shouted, pulling a few more arrows and firing. The air was filled with constant growls, the smell of smoke thick on the air as Yugi continued to fire from a seemingly endless quiver of arrows. Nothing was working...

 

Katsuya again ducked under the tail as it passed behind him, only to find himself clinging to it as it smacked back into his chest. "Guh!" Oh god that hurt, oh that- The blond hurriedly wrapped his arms around the tail as it rose off the ground, eyes widening as he looked down. "AhhhAhhhAHHHH- Shit!"

 

"Ahhhh... Yugi?" Mokuba called, watching as Katsuya attempted to keep his hold on the black dragon's tail as Red-Eyes began to flail the appendage through the air in an attempt to shake its victim off. "You should probably hurry!" The boy winced, firing another volley of arrows before biting his lip. Constantly firing wasn't doing anything. So maybe...

 

"I'm going to try something," he shouted, moving his hand away from his quiver. Katsuya looked over from where he was still gripping the tail, vision blurring as he attempted to hold back whatever vomit his virtual self had.

 

"Whatever it is," he managed to shout out, wrapping his arms tightly around what was proving more bouncy than an out of control carousel. "Please hurry!" There was a nod, Yugi staring up at the dragon and swallowing nervously.

 

"According to the class specifications," he managed to say as he pulled out another arrow, the shaft appearing to gleam in a different light than the others had. "I can tame a monster after I've dealt damage to it... And I pick you," he continued, looking directly up at the dragon's good eye before taking aim and firing. "Red-Eyes!" It was a little weird, what happened next. The arrow had appeared to glow, shooting through the air not at Red-Eye's eye, but at his chest. And yet unlike the few arrows Yugi had attempted to fire there, which had merely bounced off the impenetrable scales, it sank into the dragon completely.

 

There was just silence after that, Mokuba pulling himself out from beside the dragon's feet to look up, Red-Eyes slowly ceasing in its fury and bringing his tail to the ground to let Katsuya off. And then suddenly the great beast bowed its head, a low growl forming in its throat before vanishing into the form of a card. The three boys stared, Yugi slowly walking over and picking it up from the ground before looking at Katsuya. "...Heh," the blond said with a grin, putting his spear back in its hold as Mokuba as well came over. "Good job there Yugi," he said with a laugh. "Looks like 'monster tamin' really came in handy!"

 

The boy smiled wryly, looking at the card a moment before holding it out to his friend. "Maybe so," he said with a slight shrug, "But all I did was fire a few arrows... It wouldn't feel right if I took this," he continued, Katsuya blinking as the card was held out to him. "Jonouchi-kun," he continued seriously, "You ended up being thrown around by Red-Eyes... You had the dragon's complete attention while I fired that arrow," he added, frowning somewhat. "I think you should take this card instead... I don't think that I would have been able to catch it if you hadn't helped."

 

Katsuya blinked before frowning. Take the card? But Yugi had been the one to deal all the damage to it, and could he even do that? "But I didn' even make a scratch," he said in protest, Mokuba merely watching for the moment as they 'argued'. "All I did was grab 's tail and hold on!"

 

His friend merely shrugged, still holding the card out. "But you still did most of the work... Come on, take it," he said with a smile. "I won't use it, even if you don't!" Awwww, don't say that...

 

Now he had to take it damn it... He sighed, before smirking. "Heh... I guess there's no changin' yer mind then huh," he muttered, before taking the card and watching as it vanished into his hand. Huh... Weird, why hadn't it done that in Yugi's hand while they were arguing? "I'll make sure t' save it for somethin' important, alrigh?" he said with a nod, Yugi merely smiling in response. Something really important he mentally added, watching as Yugi grabbed the 'loot card' from where the Kuriboh had vanished. He blinked, frowning and looking around as the menu appeared to signify the end of the match. Numbers shifted around, but... Ah...

 

"O-Oi... Where's Mokuba?" he asked, turning around.

 

"Hey," the boy called, standing a fair ways down the path. Ah. There he was. "Look," he called from atop a number of logs Red-Eyes had left in his wake. "We're just outside of the town!"

 

The two blinked, walking forward to join the boy before grinning. The stone gates were nothing compared to the height of the trees, but now that those around were on the ground it was more than easy to see. "Hah... So we are!" Katsuya said with a laugh, shaking his head. Well what were the chances of that? "Guess this means we can jus' head in t' look around then righ'?"

 

Yugi nodded, the three hopping down the series of logs before walking off into the town. "Yep! We should probably split up to cover more ground though," he continued, looking around the main street that they came into.

 

Numerous people seemed to bustle around, paying them no mind in particular as they walked. The boys stopped as one stand in question caught their eye, Katsuya hanging further behind to stare bewilderingly at what looked to be a food stand. The word 'looked' being the most key, given that the 'food' looked like a series of dried newts hanging from a stick. Or maybe lizards... "Ehhh..." He swallowed, stepping back from the stand somewhat as he paled. Were these things deep-fried..? "D-Do they actually eat these things here?"

 

A crunching sound came from beside him, the blond turning only to pale even further as a towns person munched away on one of the newts in question. He didn't appear to be paying any attention to the teen beside him; which was probably good, as Katsuya was currently eyeing the newt with considerable distaste as he held back still more virtual chunks.

 

"Gh- Nevermind," he muttered to himself, edging away to join the others.

 

"Jonouchi-kun," Yugi said from the next stand over, the blond moving to join them as he attempted to push the image of fried newts from mind. "Look!" He turned to the stand that his friend was gesturing to, before his eyes widened.

 

"Ah- That's Red-Eyes Black Metal Dragon..." Ooooooh... The two continued to stare, before Mokuba coughed from behind them and pulled their attention. "..E-Eh?"

 

"It's too expensive," he said bluntly, the others looking back at the price before paling. Oh... Aha...

 

"Gh- 2000 coins," Katsuya said with a swallow. That was pretty high...

 

"We only have 20," Yugi added with a slight laugh, rubbing his head. "We're no where near that amount..." Mokuba shook his head, sighing.

 

"We should probably be focusing on finding nee-sama anyways," he said with a frown, arms crossed as the others turned away from the stand. "Besides," he continued as the three walked further down the street. "Even if we bought the card, we'd have to pay half the lifepoints to summon it; we can't afford that kind of price right now!" The others blinked, before nodding.

 

"Right," Yugi said, Katsuya looking around at the town in question as they moved. Call it a hunch, but a lot of the people walking around them didn't seem like they'd be responsive. "I guess we should ask whoever we run into for info then," he muttered, scratching the back of his neck.

 

Yugi nodded again, looking toward the end of the street where a large fountain sat. "Hn... How about we meet at that fountain in half an hour," he asked, looking to the others as they stopped. Mokuba blinked, before nodding in agreement. "That sounds like a plan... Let me try something first though," he added, crossing his arms yet again as he appeared to stare off briefly. "Hn... 'Open Menu'," he said plainly, watching as the menu appeared before him in a simple flash. "There should be a clock around here somewhere," he continued, looking over the numbers before smiling. "Aha- there," he said, the menu closing in another flash of light. "There's a clock underneath the gold counter," he told them, looking back at the two before waving. "I'll see you in half an hour," he continued, running off.

 

"A-Ah... Right," Katsuya said with a nod, Yugi also nodding before the he took off down another of the four 'main streets' from the fountain. The blond looked around, scratching his head before shrugging. "Eh... I guess that leaves me with th' north then," he muttered, heading around the fountain with his hands behind his head. So...

 

Questioning people.

 

He wandered down the street, frowning. "Er... Hey," he asked, a few people merely passing by without a glance. He waved a hand in front of a few, raising his eyebrows as the people merely walked around it. "...Oi," he asked, attempting to grab the attention of at least one person. "Anyone know something abou' how t'... Finish... This game?" he asked lamely, scratching his head. No answer of course...

 

Instead the people merely continued to walk past him in a seemingly pre-programmed track. He supposed he expected just as much really.

 

"Ahhhh... Great." Well wasn't that just perfect. He walked down the street, turning a corner and frowning. "Gotta be someone here who'll answer my questions..." He turned, blinking as he spotted a pair of meditating monks. "Hnn... I don' s'ppose you guys would have an idea 'f what I'm after would yeh?" he asked, turning to the two for a moment. The monks said nothing, merely continuing in their silent meditation as Katsuya stared. Yeah. Yeah he would get the quiet NPCs, wouldn't he. Ahhh...

 

He continued walking, groaning before looking around at the people as they walked by. They weren't even sparing a glance. Hell, the way they moved practically told him he'd have no luck asking questions; was it just him, or had he passed that blue robed guy three times already?

 

"Damn it," he growled, kicking a rock and watching it bounce across the dirt as he continued on. "Who th' hell do I have t' ask f'r help around here?"

 

"You could say please," a childish voice sounded from behind, Katsuya mentally groaning. Please... Please tell him that the 'handy NPC' in this game was not going to end up being a pain in the ass, please. It always ended up being some loud and annoying fairy or kid in those situations, but could that please not happen right now?

 

Katsuya sighed, turning around to address the source of the voice with a slight frown. "Yeah well," he muttered as he scratched his head, "I ain't exactly worried abou' bein' poli... Te..." He stared, before tensing and drawing back as a small dog tilted his head and wagged its tail at him. There was no one else in the street in view. None that weren't merely walking past and failing to give the dog second looks, or even first looks of which to speak of. Not a single person and in fact, within a few moments he really was the only one looking at the dog. He wouldn't have been surprised even if the NPC's _had_ given odd looks while they'd been there though; the muzzle on the dog was... Fairly interesting. With the darkened eyes and spiked collar, he would even call it 'metal-punk worthy'. Also BDSM worthy, actually.

 

The almost robotic mask gleamed in the sunlight, 'black' eyes staring blankly upward despite the otherwise cheerful appearance of the rest of the dog's body. Itwas just a little chilling, to say the least. The dog continued to sit there, looking up at the blond and tilting its head. "It's rude to stare you know," it said rather plainly, Katsuya coughing awkwardly and taking a step back. Aha... Yeah but...

 

Could that thing really blame him? Really? "E-Er... S-Sorry abou' that..?" He guessed. What...

 

The dog gave an odd, mechanized laugh, remaining in its seat on the path. "It's fine," it shouted as it laughed, 'staring' forward unblinkingly. "I'm just saying! Someday the person you meet won't be so forgiving." That was a creepy warning, he was just going to say that now. So. O...Kay...

 

... _Damn it why did all the weird crap have to happen to him_?

 

"You said you needed help right?" the dog asked, giving a small bark as it grabbed Katsuya's attention yet again. "Maybe we can both help each other," it continued, standing up from its seat. "You answer my questions, and I'll answer yours!" Uh... What?

 

"Er..." The blond coughed, shaking his head. "I... Don' think tha' there's much I can tell yah," he said with a nervous laugh, taking a step back. Not much at all really... "An' unless y' know anythin' abou' someone bein' captured an' dragged off," he continued with a forced laugh, "I don' think there's much you can help me with yerself so... Eh... I'll jus' leave now..."

 

"Oh, but I do know," the dog said with a bark, trotting after the blond despite his clear discomfort. "I know lots of things," it continued, Katsuya paling as it made to follow after him down the street. "Many things... Everything," it said with a particularly loud 'yelp', causing the blond to flinch and continue backward. "But there's just one thing I really want to know," the dog said, Katsuya swallowing and continuing to back away from the creature as they came to a small four-way street. "Just one thing," it emphasized, "I have to know... This 'real world' of yours," it asked, target still walking back from the dog. "What's it like?"

 

The real world? "Ah... W-What?" Wait, this thing actually knew it wasn't real? How the hell did that work!

 

The dog looked up, an odd gleam appearing in it's 'eyes'. "I said... What is this 'real world' of yours like? Is it still as pathetic as it was last time I checked?" P-Pathetic?

 

Self-aware computers were never a good thing in movies and crap, if this thing was calling the world 'pathetic' then... Katsuya stared at the small 'puppy' with wide eyes, swallowing. What the hell. What... Slowly he stepped away again, the dog merely sitting in place and wagging its tail. One step... Two step...

 

The dog continued to sit, and finally he turned, bolting from the spot as fast as he could while the same odd mechanized laughter began to ring behind him.

 

' _Ahahahahha~ I-ttera-shaii, Katsuya~_ '

 

What the fuck what the fuck _what the hell was that_! Katsuya gasped for breath as he skidded to a stop down one of the other streets, leaning against a wall as he stared off in silence. Alright... Breathe...

Breathe, it wasn't following him... He swallowed, before slumping to a seat beside the same two monks he'd passed earlier and letting out a long panicked sigh. W...What...

 

What the hell kind of 'program' was that? 'Itterashai'? Like hell he'd be seeing that dog again! "Hah-ahh... Hah-ahh... Ahh... Gh-..." He choked, attempting to calm himself down and continuing to stare off before simply shutting his eyes. "Hah... Hah... hah... hah... ...What was that," he finally muttered to himself, rubbing his head and turning to stare at the ground. "What was..." What was that thing?

 

He swallowed, thumping his head back against the wall and staring at the sky. Bright and blinding sunlight in a cloudless sky. Wasn't that deceiving? ...Time... He continued to stare, leaning against the wall as the thought dimly came to mind. What time was it...

 

"...Open Menu," he muttered, the odd 'glass' appearing before his eyes in an instant. Stats came across the screen, the blond's eyes moving toward the 'gold' counter to check the clock beneath it. Half an hour. That's what they had said, right? Half an hour, meet back at the fountain. Some help he'd been... The blond took another deep breath, before standing up with a slight grunt and heading back toward the fountain as the menu closed.

 

Time was up... And he hadn't found a damn thing, save for a creepy ass dog that he was sure as hell keeping quiet about.

 

"Ahhh... Damn it," he muttered, shaking his head. Well, maybe the others had something! That would be good.

 

"Ah, Jonouchi-kun!" Katsuya looked up, watching as Yugi sat up from where he'd been waiting at the fountain's edge. "Did you find anything?" he asked, the blond shaking his head as he walked over with a slight frown. Besides something to add to any nightmares he might have...

 

No. Not really. "Nothing," he said with a shrug, scratching his head. "You?"

 

He shook his head, frowning somewhat. "The same..." Which left them with...

 

"I found something," Mokuba said with a grin, the others turning as the boy ran over. The boy continued grinning as he came over, brushing a bit of sand off his cloak before speaking. "An old man I helped out apparently saw someone with an unconscious person on the back of their 'Koke'... Whatever that is," he added with a slight frown before shaking it off. "They crossed the desert," the boy continued seriously, looking toward the 'eastern' street. "Toward what he called the 'Cave of Death'..."

 

They blinked, Katsuya frowning. "E-Er... 'Cave of Death'?" he repeated, frowning as the three began walking away from the fountain. Because hey. 'Cave of Death', that didn't say anything at all right? "...Wait... Do you think that person could have been Seto-chan?"

 

Mokuba nodded, expression somewhat blank as he looked at the two. "I'm almost sure of it," he said in response, eyes wide. "The old man said it was about two hours ago," he continued, sending a glance toward the eastern road as he spoke. "That was around when nee-sama lost the game... There's no way we're wrong!"

 

"Hn... So then if we cross the desert..." Yugi began, turning to look as the large wide 'road' that opened up to the vast wasteland in question. It was fairly clear that sticking to the main street as opposed to taking the side-roads as Yugi had done during their search for clues was a fast and sure way of getting

to the desert. And what a desert it was Katsuya thought, the three stopped at the edge and staring out for the moment. Wow...

 

Lots of sand... "Hnn... That looks pretty far out... ...Ah!" He jumped, watching a blue-black blur rush past him. "Mokuba!" The two watched, eyes wide as the boy abruptly charged forward in a run and began making his way out into the desert.

 

"H-Hang on," Yugi shouted, charging after with Katsuya close behind him.

 

"Mokuba," Katsuya shouted loudly, wind picking up almost immediately after they ran out into the sanded wastes. He winced as a blast of sand met his face, throwing his arm above his eyes and continuing on. "Mokuba, wait up!"

 

The boy didn't listen, Yugi and Katsuya both holding their arms above their faces as they charged through what looked to be a quickly brewing sand storm. Mokuba had a bandana and cloak... He was lucky. Them... Not so much, Katsuya decided as the sand quickly blew with enough force to block their vision past about 5 feet.

 

"Mokuba!" Yugi shouted, the two older ones slowly making their way toward the boy as the wind slowed them down. The boy ahead of them was slowly blown back, the three within arm's length of the other as they walked. "Mokuba, it's too rough out here!" he cried, attempting to make himself clear through the sand. "We need to get back, at least to prepare for this better!"

 

There was no answer, Katsuya squinting through the sands as he shouted as well. "Mokuba! This 's impossible," he yelled, sand striking the side of his face hard enough to cut skin. "We're gonna die if we keep goin', let's jus' turn back like Yugi said!"

 

"No!" The two frowned, wincing slightly as the wind appeared to pick up with the small boy's anger. "I... Just... Shut up," Mokuba shouted, struggling to move further. "We... We can't turn back! This is our only lead," he protested, fighting against the wind with all he could as his cloak and bandanna flapped against the wind. "We need to keep going... It can't be much further," he continued to shout, voice barely audible over the storm. "If we hurry, we can find Seto-neesama and-"

 

He froze, the three stopping in place as howling wind met their ears. "Ahh..." Katsuya squinted, stumbling back slightly as a wicked blast of air hit him. "Please tell me I ain't th' only one hearing that," he shouted, the sand blasting against their ears as the others shook their heads.

 

Yugi swallowed, looking forward before his eyes widened despite the sand blowing at his face. "It's not just you," he shouted, stumbling back somewhat as an enormous hurricane of sand appeared. "That's a tornado!" And what a tornado it was- it as as though it was a monster's attack as opposed to an actual natural occurrence. And would you look at that, it was getting closer. Ahhhh shit...

 

The three stumbled back as they overcame the shock, before turning to trip against the sand. "Run," Katsuya muttered to start, before grabbing Mokuba's arm and charging in the opposite direction. The boy gave an awkward shout as he stumbled, Katsuya finding his voice as the sound of the winds increased. "RUN!"

 

There were no arguments as they attempted to flee, stumbling through the sand as the sound of howling wind continued to grow behind them. Odd 'clipping' noises sounded from behind, scratching against the backs of their cloth armor as they ran.

 

"Haaah..." Katsuya turned somewhat, eyes widening before a wave of sand smacked him in the face and knocked him off his feet. "AAAAHHH!" As he landed to the ground, all he could see was an enormous shadow, three 'claws' reaching toward them through the curtain of sand. And then there was nothing...

 

Nothing but darkness...

 

* * *

 

- _BRAM! BRAM!_

 

Honda winced against the pounding on the door, throwing as much weight as possible against the boxes. It'd been going on for at least an hour; he and Anzu would switch between holding the 'fort' at the door, which would occasionally jump forward an inch before being slammed back, the other grabbing whatever was available in the room to add to the barricade. The problem however, was that they were beginning to run out of things to hold the door back. And as it was, the 'door' resembled more of a wall of boxes than anything.

 

"Anzu," he called, looking across the room as the woman began pushing a series of chairs over from the side. "Find anything else?"

 

"Besides these?" she said with a grimace, jamming the chairs against the boxes with as much force as she could. One leaned against the other, while the back of the chair was rammed as far into the box pile as possible. "Nothing! You'd think that the doors would be a little easier to barricade given all of Kaiba's thoughts on security!" Yeah, they'd think but...

 

Here they were. The teen beside her nodded, looking over at the screen. Walking out of a town now. They'd missed what happened after the zombies were taken out mostly, barricading the door was a bit of a priority at the time. Still a priority actually, but really what could they do? "Damn it... I hope those guys hurry," he said with a wince, the woman following his gaze toward the screen with a nod.

 

"Gn... You say that now," she muttered, leaning against the boxes and biting her lip as the pounding and shouts behind the door continued with seemingly increased vigour, "But from what I can tell on the screen they won't be doing much of anything for a while..."

 

Honda nodded, watching as on screen the three sprites of their friends collapsed to the ground in a sand storm. "Looks like," he muttered, small pixelated 'SLP' appearing above the trio. "H-Hey," he said with a swallow, watching a large tentacled beast made of stone appeared from the opposite side of the screen. Despite what little detail was visible on the sprite, it was fairly obvious that it was bigger than their friends. And far... Stranger too. No eyes, a mouth on one hand, three claws on the other... It simply appeared from the ground, tentacles waving from its base as it appeared to give a roar. "What the hell is that thing..?"

 

Anzu paled, watching the pixelated monster slowly approach the fallen sprites with an odd snail-like motion. "That's a duel monster," she muttered, before her eyes widened. Ordinarily it wasn't very strong on it's own but... 'SLP' meant 'Sleep' didn't it? "That's 'Sandstone'," she said with a swallow, pushing back against the barricade. "But if they aren't awake to fight then-"

 

The two cut off, watching as a fifth sprite charged onto the field. It was tiny, far smaller than Mokuba or Yugi's sprites to say the least. But it looked almost like... A puppy? With a mask maybe? The dog appeared to bark, the words 'Sandstone fled' appearing on the screen briefly before the screen went completely black.

 

And then there was nothing. "What the..." She turned, sharing a confused and wide-eyed look with Honda as the teen shook his head.

 

"Hey... I'm just as confused as you are," he said with a swallow, watching the blackened screen before it switched to the edge of the town their friend's had sat in prior the storm. Small dog from no where saving everyone's ass? He'd take that for now. "At least the thing is on their side right?" They looked at the screen a few moments more, sharing nervous glances again. That had to be it right? It had to be on 'their side'. After all...

 

What else would it be doing if it wasn't?

 

* * *

 

"Kh! Kack! Kah! Ahk..." Katsuya coughed roughly, groaning as he slowly opened his eyes to look up at the sky. "Ghk..." Sand in his throat... And his ears... And everywhere else... "Gnnn..." God, his head... Agghh... It felt like his head was tossed around in one of Seto's blenders... On one of the weird options that he didn't think existed until he watched all those strawberries go 'splat' against the ceiling... "Aggghh..."

 

"Ahh..." What was that sound... "You're awake!" The blond tensed, eyes widening as he slowly sat up and turned toward it. Oh fuck, not that voice. Please tell him it was not that same-

 

It was.

 

"This is interesting," the dog from before said, Katsuya turning away the moment he spotted it as he held his breath. Damn it. Whyyyyyyy... Of all the things to see when he woke up, why was that thing there? "I didn't expect to see you so soon," it continued, giving a happy bark despite apparently not having a jaw to open or close to do so. "You should thank me," the dog said from its seat, the blond it spoke to currently holding his head in his hands. Maybe this was just a bug. Some weird, twisted bug that somehow slipped into beta... "If I didn't pull you back here, the Sandstone would have ripped all three of you into little fleshy ribbons~" ...A very twisted bug. "As it is," the dog continued despite Katsuya's apparent discomfort, "If I didn't already owe you a favor, I would have just sat and watched anyways." Uhhh...

 

O... Okay? He stared, unsure of whether or not to thank the dog. It did just finish saying it considered watching. And as it was the prospect of having been, as the thing said, 'ripped into little fleshy ribbons' was just a little... Unnerving. Particularly since it was apparently a fate he was spared from for some favor he didn't even know about. "Er... T-T-Thanks... I... Guess?" What the hell did he pull himself into?

 

The dog gave its usual mechanical laugh, shaking its head before turning away. "Whatever," it said somewhat dismissively, walking back toward the town. "I'm going to go back to my home now, ok, 'Katsuya'?" How the hell did this thing know his name! The dog turned, as if to answer. "Hnnn? I know everything... Remember?" Er... W-W-What? As the blond tensed, growing white and pale the dog began to walk away with a still constant and mechanized laugh. "Ehehehhe... Say 'hi' to 'Seto-chan' for me, neh? I'll see you again~" No. No he wouldn't, he told himself as the dog vanished back into the city, quickly turning a corner and vanishing from sight completely. He damn well would not, not if he wanted to stay sane in any way.

 

"Nnnnnnnng..."

 

This was turning into the most fucked up birthday ever in existence. By a long shot. He rubbed his head, collapsing back on the ground before turning his head to look at others. Somehow they were all relatively in the same spot. They were still knocked out though, faces turned to the side. He clambered to his feet, crawling over to Mokuba and lightly shaking him by the shoulder.

 

"Mokuba," he said with a slight frown, rolling the boy over and continuing to try and wake the boy up. "Oi... Mokuba!"

 

"Ghnn..." He opened his eyes, blearily looking up with a wince and blinking a few times. "Gnn... Katsuya-nii..?" The boy groaned, sitting up and looking around dimly as the taller of the two followed his gaze. "...What happened..?"

 

Katsuya bit his lip, looking out at the seemingly calm desert. "Eh... That's a good question really..." He looked back to Yugi, before moving over to his friend's side. "Yugi..." He tapped the boy's shoulder, before grabbing it and shaking it slightly. "Yugi... Yugi," he repeated, moving back as Yugi as well began to stir. "Hey," he said, watching the boy pull himself up to his knees with a groan. "You alright? Mokuba?" he added, looking toward the boy worriedly. "What about you?"

 

While Mokuba merely nodded sullenly, Yugi shook his head and looked around himself. "Ah..." The boy blinked, turning to Katsuya with somewhat wide eyes. "We're back at the town?"

 

The other two nodded, frowning. "Yeah," Katsuya said, standing up and shaking the sand from his pants. "Th' twister blew us back here..." Or at least close enough to be dragged over by a creepy ass dog... Which he should probably not think about given the already large number of questions surrounding that.

 

The three stood in silence a moment, before rough and rasping chuckling came from the side. "Hahahahaha... Tried to cross the desert did you?" an old robed man said, the boys blinking as he looked them over. The man seemed to stare up at his shack's roof, looking at the ceiling with squinting eyes while sitting in his rocking chair. "How foolish..." Foolish? Tch! And he had a better idea?

 

...Wait... Katsuya blinked, before walking over as the others followed behind him. _Did_ he have a better idea? "Wait," he muttered, watching as the man continued to stare at his porch roof. "So then you know somethin' abou' crossin' th' desert, old man?"

 

The man merely continued to chuckle, staring off at nothing in particular. "You need a 'Koke' card to cross the desert," he stated, trailing off somewhat as he shook his head. "Great avian mounts weathered against the sand for means of travel..." Koke...

 

Katsuya frowned a moment, thinking back to their initial clue to Seto's location. Mokuba said that she'd been carried off on a 'Koke' right? Thinking in terms of duel monsters... He continued to frown, before grinning as the image came to mind. "Ah... That card!" Yugi blinked, turning as the blond continued with a grin. "The chicken card! You know, th' one that goes on abou' a chicken who eats things f'r their life energy?"

 

Come to think, that sounded pretty damn creepy. Were they seriously going to ride on one of those things?

 

Mokuba pushed forward, eyes wide as he clung to the next clue at how to reach his sister. "O-Old man," he asked somewhat desperately, the man in question appearing to not respond for a moment. "How do we get that card?"

 

"You need a 'Koke' card to cross the desert," the man stated, chuckling somewhat as he spoke. "Great avian mounts, weathered against the sand for means of travel..."

 

The three blinked, frowning as the taller gave an awkward cough. "Er... Y' said that already," Katsuya said with a slight frown.

 

"You need a 'Koke' card to cross the desert," he said again, the boys sharing somewhat exasperated smirks in response. R-Really? Again? "Great avian mounts, weathered against the sand for means of travel..."

 

"Pbbbbt... Gh... He keeps repeating the same thing," Katsuya said with a wheezing laugh, holding his head as he shook it. It was worse than just hitting the 'a' button too many times in a video game! All they had to do was say something, ahhh... "Shouldn' there be a program agains' that or somethin'?"

 

Mokuba merely smiled wryly, before it dropped to a frown as the boy turned away. "Yeah... I guess," he muttered, the older two quickly cutting their laughter short as they noted their friend's current misery. "But it looks like we can't leave this town without that card," he continued, staring at the ground. Hnnn...

 

Damn. That was a good point huh. "We should look through the town for clues," Yugi said, turning back at the town in question as the sun continued to hover high in the sky. "Someone should know about this 'Koke' card..." Yeah. Someone. Though given their luck with finding out which way to go...

 

...Wait. Katsuya blinked, looking back at the town before running off as he recalled something. "H-Heh? Katsuya-nii!" Mokuba shouted, running behind him as the blond continued off down the street.

 

"J-Jonouchi-kun!" Yugi called, the blond ahead of them running back to the square surrounding the fountain. The three slowed somewhat, looking around the main square in slight confusion. "What's going on?"

 

"I saw somethin' earlier," he answered, turning back a moment before coming to a stop at one of the walls. Where was it... "When I was runnin' back t' meet up with you guys," he added. Or rather, running away from that creepy dog... Not that they needed to know about that part. "I didn' think anything of it at th' time but... There w's a contest poster!" he said, the other two raising their eyebrows before following him to a collection of posters on the wall.

 

Alright... Newt ad, something on armor, and... Aha!

 

"Here!"

 

The pair looked at it, blinking for a moment as they read it over. "The battle of champions," Mokuba read someone monotonously, skimming over the text decorating the rather 'over the top' poster. "Test your strength against the incredible 'Queen of the Butterflies'," he continued, eyes briefly moving over the costumed woman on the paper, "Winners will receive- Ah!" He brightened, eyes wide as a grin came back into place. "The prize is a Koke card!"

 

He grinned, Yugi and Mokuba both looking at him with similar expressions. "This is great," the older of the two said, looking back to glean the location of the 'coliseum'. Somewhere north right? "If we hurry, we can still catch up to Kaiba-san's captors!"

 

Katsuya nodded, turning toward the road that he'd walked on before they attempted the desert crossing. He'd never made it to the end of that street before. It was no wonder he'd missed the building first time around. "Th' coliseum should be over there," he mentioned, the others turning to follow his gaze. The walls of the enormous ring rose high above the buildings in the town, easily making it locatable now that they were trying to find it. "I just hope this ain't timed," he muttered, grimacing at the thought. "If we can't compete just 'cause 'f timing..."

 

The boys frowned, beginning the small trek toward the coliseum. "I don't think that it would end up like that," Yugi said in response, shaking his head. "While the Big 5 are definitely trying to stop us, I don't think they'd put that kind of a bug in to do it..."

 

He trailed off, looking at Mokuba as the boy pulled a face. "You'd be surprised," Mokuba spat, scowling at the topic. "To code a timer into a program is as easy as breathing for Ota, if he decided to he could stop us in our tracks!" Gh- really?

 

The blond turned, swallowing as they came toward the coliseum and wandered into the entrance. "Then... Why hasn't he?" he said nervously, blinking a few times. If it was that easy then... "I mean, not that I don' mind still bein' here but..."

 

The boy shrugged, shaking his head as they located the 'office' of the building. "I don't know... I'm not complaining either but..." He sighed, a worried frown on his face as he looked back at Katsuya. "It's bugging me..." Yeah... Him and everyone else that wasn't made of computer data.

 

Katsuya scratched his head, following Mokuba and Yugi in through the door and staring from the doorway in silence. "...E-Eh..." Yugi swallowed, before bowing his head politely as the other two continued to stare. "Ah... Are you the coliseum manager?" he asked, the three watching the fat and frog-like man follow a fly around with his eyes.

 

Frog-like was probably the 'nicest' way of describing this thing. Besides being green and somewhat warty skin, the man was pretty much a slime ball. "I am," the man stated with a hoarse grunt, smirking as the others continued to stare. "Come to take my challenge have you?" They were... The boys nodded, bowing their heads somewhat as the manager gave a hoarse laugh. "Aha! Good," he shouted, standing up from his seat as the wood creaked under the lack of pressure. "Wonderful, wonderful... I was beginning to think no one would show," he said with a laugh, tromping over to a shelf at the side while the others continued to stare. "Apparently they're all scared, afraid of being trounced by our current reigning champion! Its so pathetic," he spat, "That even with nothing but the challenge of defeating her in place, I was getting empty seats and costumes! But you," he said with a grin, pointing at Yugi as the boy jumped somewhat. "I can tell you have what it takes!"

 

There was a snap noise shortly after he said that, the three both staring with wide eyes as the man's tongue shot out to grab the fly he'd been watching. A fairly pleased expression came over the manager's face for a split second, an audible swallow coming through the air as the man grabbed a few more things from the shelves.

 

E-Er... What the hell? Yugi bowed his head nervously, watching as the frog-like man pulled a hooded cloak with mask-like additions and other pieces of furred armor from the side to hand to him. "Ah... Is... Is it really that dangerous?" he asked with wide eyes, coughing somewhat as the three listened..

 

"But of course," the coliseum manager said with a snort, hobbling back to his chair to sit down as it groaned under his weight. "All matches here are 'to the death'! You keep fighting until one or the other dies, that's business!" he added with a laugh. To the death? That didn't sound good... The boys shared a nervous glance, before jumping as Katsuya snatched the dog-like costume from Yugi's hands.

 

"A-Ah... Jonouchi-kun!"

 

"Katsuya-nii!" Mokuba protested, eyes wide as the blond stowed the costume under his arm with a frown. "What are you doing?"

 

Katsuya looked down at the two, staring seriously at them. "You two are Seto-chan's best chance of rescue," he said calmly, the manager watching in silence. "I'm already a good chunk 'f lifepoints under y' both... Both of you guys have a better shot than I do! I'll go," he continued, nodding his head toward the 'frog' as he said this. "Tha' way, if I really do end up losin' th' game, it'll jus' be one less liability f'r yah both." They stared, frowning somewhat with those words.

 

"Katsuya-nii," Mokuba said with a glare, "You're not a liability! You're-"

 

"Eh, I don' wanna hear it," Katsuya said with a shrug, turning his back on the two as the protests stopped. "No matter what, y' can't change my mind! B'sides," he added with a grin, looking back at them with a small laugh. "No way I'm gonna lose, alrigh'?" He promised right?

 

The two fell silent, sharing odd looks before finally nodding. "Alright Jonouchi-kun," Yugi said with a nod, the blond turning in response. "...We'll be watching from the stands alright?"

 

"Yeah," Mokuba said with a set frown, "You better not get yourself too roughed up out there!"

 

He continued to grin, nodding. "Hah! Whadya take me for, an idiot?" There was silence in response, the blond growling as he received shrugs. "O-Oi!" Now hang on! "That wasn't a serious question!"

 

There was a cough from behind, the three turning and dropping the subject as the manager pointed toward the side of the room. "You're going to need to put on that costume, understand?" he said with a grunt, Katsuya nodding in response. Yeah, of course..."Wait by the grated door at the end of it when you're ready, and in fifteen minutes the battle will begin! As for you two," he continued, standing up from his chair as the other two listened, "The stands are that way; that will be ten coins each for admission!" The boys nodded, before freezing. Right. Payment...

 

Ah... "Er..." Yugi stared, looking over himself for some sort of bag to get the money from. "How do we pa-"

 

"Good, good," the frog-man abruptly said, the boys blinking as he pointed to the side. Briefly, the menu flashed before Mokuba and Yugi's eyes, the sound of a cash register coming from above. Ten coins vanished from the counter, leaving them with the same amount paid. There was no reaction from the 'frog' however. It was as though the manager simply... Didn't hear it. As though they'd simply handed the coins over rather than staring and letting the computer do its work.

 

Weird...

 

"You can go take your seats in the front row," he continued, nodding his head toward the path to the side. Yugi and Mokuba both nodded, turning to Katsuya briefly.

 

"Good luck," the older said, Mokuba nodding his head in agreement.

 

"Whatever you do," Mokuba said seriously, frowning as he looked at the blond, "Don't lose! Understand?"

 

He nodded, smirking as he waved the thought off. "No problem," he said, before turning with a smirk. He wasn't about to lose! "I'll have this over in no time flat!" Katsuya gave one final grin, before the boys went their separate ways. He walked over to the door at the other end of the room and shut it behind him, looking around the somewhat dark room and putting the costume at the side by a window. This would be easy, he told himself as he shook some still clinging grains of sand from his hair and grabbed the cloak. No problem whatsoe-

 

Katsuya pulled a face as he held up the costume, gloves and greaves falling to the ground in its wake as he looked the black 'fur' over.

 

"Ah hell," he muttered, an oddly adorable looking dog face staring back from the hood. Despite the somewhat 'flaming' appearance of the mesh eyes, all in all, the black dog costume was just a little much. Even a pig would have been better, god. "Is my life cursed 'r somethin'?" He continued to scowl, before pulling on the greaves around his shins nonetheless. They were more boot covers made of fur really. Covering the legs from his toes up to his knees, with the gloves themselves being long enough to reach his elbows. What was the point in all this if he had a mask though? And one attached to a freaking cape at that? The blond shook his head, pulling on the cloak and mask before attempting to cape portion on the front in place. "Sheesh," he muttered, voice muffled by the cloth as he looked through the red 'veil' so to speak, "How th' hell am I supposed t' see in this thing?" He looked down, grabbing the gloves from the ground and pulling them on before pulling out his spear. And then quite abruptly, Katsuya choked.

 

Maybe it was just the lighting- but apparently his eyesight wasn't going to be as bad as he thought in this costume. Hell despite the red 'film', most of what he could see was relatively clear!

 

...Seriously though, a dog?

 

"Man," he muttered, scratching his head. "This is completely..." A loud blaring noise came over the air, Katsuya jerking his head up and running forward as a grate at the end of the room began to lift. Ah... He slowed down, watching the gate lift completely before looking out at the large arena. The battle was starting already then? ' _Ladies and Gentlemen_ ,' the rasping voice of the coliseum manager called out, Katsuya slowly walking forward and squinting as the sun glared from above.

 

"I welcome you to the match we have all been waiting for! A battle so fierce," he continued with raised volume, "That the gods themselves watch from above as we speak!" Errr... What? "Put your hands together for our challenger!" he continued, Katsuya taking the words as his cue to walk out with a somewhat nervous swallow. "A fierce hound, who guards the gates of hell itself... Will he stand against our reigning champion?" he shouted, a chorus of 'boos' coming through the air. Ahhhhahaaa...

 

Katsuya laughed nervously, the sound never making it past his mask. Increasingly angered shouts came through, the blond nonetheless standing in place near the exit of the tunnel he'd come from. D-Damn, this was a tough crowd...

 

"Katsuya-nii!" a voice shouted from the side, the blond turning to spot Mokuba and Yugi in the crowd. "Go for it!" he shouted, Yugi cheering loudly as well. Despite the overwhelming shouts from around, the calls of those two in particular seemed to stand out as a whole, filling him with a burst of confidence- now where...

 

Aha! There they were! He stared at his friends for just a moment before nodding, turning back with an unseen smirk as the enormous gate on the other side of the field began to open.

 

"We'll soon find out," the frogman was shouting, calls from the ring blurring into one sound as an elaborate palanquin was carried out on a crowd of men. "For the champion now stands before us!" The crowd stopped just before the entrance, the frog-manager gesturing eagerly. "Now... Please welcome, the Queen of Butterflies!"

 

From the covers of the palanquin a shadow rose, curtains drawn and pulled back before a woman stepped forward from the cover into the sun. Katsuya's eyes shot wide open as the rather busty blond walked forward, the other two in the crowd gawking equally so as the woman pulled out with a whip to look down with a smirk. The cloak that the 'Queen' wore spread out wide behind the woman, forming an enormous pair of butterfly's wings that shimmered in the sunlight with all the appearance of a series of stained glass windows. And that was probably all that was on the woman's back too, Katsuya mentally thought to himself with a swallow. Because there certainly wasn't anything on her arms and shoulders. Or legs and sides. Or the center or her breasts.

 

How was this armor again he thought with yet another swallow, briefly wondering if his nose was bleeding. Was _anything_ covered? Katsuya took a step back somewhat, letting out a long breath as the woman in front of him flipped through the air to land across him on the ground in a crouch. The palanquin was pulled back into the room behind her, her whip cracking threateningly across the ground as the gate closed shut. The bladed whip sliced through the sand and dirt on the ground as she looked down through the butterfly shaped mask, the manager's voice coming from the side as woman stared.

 

"Let the match... BEGIN!"

 

There were only a few words for this he decided as he held his spear before him. Very few, he corrected, watching as the woman began to walk forward before moving to produce a card seemingly from nowhere. Though the whip lay motionless as she did this, it was more than apparent that she could pull it forward as soon as she liked to slit through his throat, lest whatever she call from the card did that. So really, there were only _three_ words for the situation.

 

"Fuck my life..."

 


	4. Not So Distressed

"Honda, stop staring at the screen."

 

It was about the fifth time the teen had been told that, as the two held firm against the constant battering against the door. It was getting tiring; despite the wall of 'junk' they'd put there, it was more than clear that one wrong move and the pile would fall. And when it did, it would not be pretty. Pancakes would be putting it lightly to say the least.

 

Pancakes would look far prettier than what the actual end result would likely be, too. Honda turned away from the 'coliseum' scene, coughing before giving Anzu a nod. "Ah... Right..." Despite the fact that the screen was all sprites, it did not change the size of the small sprite woman's breasts. Not to mention what wasn't on her breasts. "Hey... Does Jonouchi's opponent seem familiar to you?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at the busty blond sprite as the woman on screen summoned a monster.

 

Anzu raised her eyebrows, not even batting an eye at the question. "Besides the fact that she's probably modeled off Mai? No," she said with a frown. Though she'd definitely hit the nail on the head with that one.

 

The teen shrugged, staring at the screen again as a small battle started. How long would they be there, in the game? If this kept up he thought with a wince as the seemingly endless pounding continued, then by the time Yugi and the others made it to Kaiba, the door would be broken down and the plug would be... Well. Beside him Anzu swallowed, similar thoughts having come to mind after the conversation came to an end. According to the book if the plug was pulled during the game, it would cause enough shock to the body that brain-death would be imminent. There would no longer be anything to support the slight connection between the thoughts and the body itself, no connection to keep what made the person 'human' from simply being lost in the machine.

 

There would be no return, no come back after that. Perhaps the 'Other Yugi' would still be there depending on how things worked out, but for everyone else to be gone in his stead...

 

It would be more than 'bad'. It would be horrifying. An occurrence that would haunt everyone more than anything else could possibly succeed at.

 

And possibly screw them all over while they were at it too.

 

Honda continued to stare at the screen, deciding to lighten the topic rather than sit in the awkward silence that had come into place in the meantime. "So," he said somewhat offhandedly, Anzu not even looking up from where she was pushing at the barricade. "What's with the mask Jonouchi's wearing?"

 

There was a slight grunt as a particularly sound thump hammered against the door, Anzu looking up with narrowed eyes after being thrown back somewhat. "Gh... Now isn't the time," she muttered, leaning against the barrier. "Less talking, more pushing Honda..."

 

He nodded, turning from the screen to push against the barricade again. "R-Right..."

 

* * *

 

Back in the virtual coliseum of the game, Katsuya swallowed and took another step back from his opponent. The sun was high above the two, and in the glaring light his opponent was almost completely shadowed. Through the wings however, he ended up with a blinding rainbow. He wasn't sure which was worse- the 'rainbow' or the 'shadows'. Katsuya didn't have much time to think about this, his opponent quickly deciding that silence was not as golden as it seemed.

 

"Are you ready?" the woman across from him asked in an almost sultry tone, the card she created falling into her free hand's grip. A deck holder sat on the side, and yet it seemed more than obvious that she was not using it for the cards. As to how she was getting them then...he had no idea. "Do you think you can challenge the 'Champion'?" she continued, her opponent drawing a card only to curse under his breath; Dragon Nails.

 

Damn his luck, damn it to hell... Not helpful without a dragon to equip it to, and he wasn't pulling out Red-Eyes in the coliseum battle. He needed to save that card, for a time where Red-Eyes would really be needed. Besides he told himself with a grim sense of reassurance, he couldn't even play spells.

 

And given that this battle was 'one on one', attempting to use it against this woman would be pointless. Shouts continued from the side, Katsuya's opponent literally carving cracks into the ground with her whip as she walked forward. "It's a hundred years too early to be challenging me, boy! Prepare yourself!" Katsuya watched the card vanish into his 'hand' before taking a somewhat defensive stance with the spear. No cards. Traditional way to fight then. Seemed like that was happening a lot in this game.

 

"Tch..." '100 years' though? Hah! "Say that when y' actually beat me!" he shouted, voice muffled and distorted by the fabric. He paced around the wall of the arena, watching as the woman across him merely tossed the card in the air with a grin. The air? He narrowed his eyes, swallowing. That wasn't how summoning worked in the game though. So then what...

 

"Hnhnhnhnhn..." The woman gave an oddly familiar chuckle, holding her hand up as the card glowed above her. "In that case, I'll show you just why I'm the champion!" she shouted, whip cracking on the ground as the card above her began to vanish into a sparkling mist rather than the standard dust. "I summon the Harpy Lady ," the woman continued, the mist dispersing into a shower of feathers the swirled in a single large sphere above the field.

 

With in an instant the sphere burst, the summoned monster appearing in a flurry of feathers to screech loudly and eagerly above the woman. Damn. Wasn't that a familiar sight?

 

"Now," she said calmly, pulling her whip taut before pulling it through the air. "Fight!" she roared, charging forward with the whip as Katsuya paled. Shit! Harpy Lady and a woman coming after him with a bladed whip! Damn it!

 

He threw up his spear, blocking the claws of the bird and throwing her back as his opponent laughed. "Gh..!" The harpy returned, Katsuya rolling as the claws scraped against the stone behind him, whip slicing against his shoulder as he pulled his spear up again. Where... Where had he heard this laugh before? The blond's eyes widened as the Harpy Lady landed at its mistress' side, quickly connecting the laugh to a name as the woman stared down at him. Blond hair, purple eyes...

 

And damn huge melons that was for sure.

 

There was no way. No damn way, didn't she live in Kyoto!? Why the hell-

 

The whip came shooting his way, Katsuya catching the tip and allowing it to wrap around the center of his blade before pulling it taut. Heh... Only one way to find out he thought with a smirk, his opponent pulling back on the whip in annoyance. "Hn! Intr'sting seein' yah here Mai!" he said with a shout, pulling off his mask allowing it to hang on the back of his cloak. "But what're yeh doin' here, in Tokyo?" he continued, the woman across from him staring with wide eyes.

 

Mai blinked, standing up and waving her hand to hold her monster in place for the moment. "Jonouchi?" she said with wide eyes, before shaking her head as she continued to hold the whip taut. "Well this is interesting to say the least," she said with a slight smirk. "But unfortunately," she continued, pulling the whip again in what looked to be a developing 'tug-of-war', "I was hired to fight against who ever came my way here... That's the point of a beta-test dear," she said with a slight shrug, before frowning. "You make sure everything works out, including the PvP servers; no hard feelings," she continued, pointing her Harpy Lady forward with a slight frown as the bird nodded. "Now! Go, Airo!"

 

Katsuya tensed, turning the staff in a somewhat effective defense against the bird as it struck the whip he held in place to cause the weapon to give a loud twang. "Tch... No hard feelin's then," he said with a frown, giving a particularly hard tug only to find his opponent not budging from the other end, "But I ain't backin' down either... There's a life on th' line!" he continued seriously, charging forward with the spear and ducking under the Harpy Lady as she attempted to slice through him yet again. "And I ain't lettin' anything get in th' way of that!"

 

"...A life?" Mai asked somewhat incredulously, pulling her whip free in the slack caused by Katsuya's charge before flipping away from him with ease. She narrowed her eyes, before pulling her mask off with a nod and tossing it to the side. "Hnn... Airo," she shouted, the bird turning to her from the air. Airo? It had a name? "This fight is over," she continued, the monster vanishing in a flurry of feathers not unlike its summoning.

 

Katsuya stared in silence, Mai simply staring back as the blond straightened and held put his spear back in its holster. In just a few moments shouts followed from the side, Yugi and Mokuba both hopping over the coliseum wall to run over to the two. "Ah... Mai-san," Yugi shouted, stopping alongside Katsuya and Mokuba both to look at the woman. Mai turned, blinking as Yugi went slightly red before speaking. "Y... You're here too?"

 

The woman nodded, hands on her hips as she looked the boys over. "That's right," she said with a slight frown, evidently rethinking the reason for being there herself. "Now... What's this about a 'life on the line'?"

 

There wasn't even a pause before the woman received an answer. "It's my brother," Mokuba said with a swallow, the four ignoring the slowly souring crowd around them; who cared if they wanted a fight, what would they do, throw rocks? "He was testing this game when he became trapped in it..." He looked down for a moment with those words, before continuing with grit teeth. "If we don't beat the game," Mokuba said with a slight growl, "If we don't find him, we can't get him back!"

 

"We need the Koke card," Yugi continued, looking to the side where the card sat on display. It was all rather... Obviously placed to say the least. "Kaiba-san is apparently somewhere across the desert, and we need a Koke to get across it. We shouldn't be fighting though," he continued seriously, frowning somewhat as he looked from Mai to Katsuya. "We're friends, and we aren't playing this for fun; there should be another way to deal with this..."

 

Mai stared with those words, before smirking and turning to follow his gaze to the side. "I see... In that case," she said with a wink, card appearing in her hand as she drew the whip back behind her, "Grab on! Harpie's Pet Dragon!," she shouted, the card flying through the air to explode in a shower of sparks.

 

A sphere of flames hovered through the air, bursting to reveal the massive red-scaled dragon as the monster filled half of the arena. Mai's whip flew toward the card on the side with the summon, snatching it from beside the shocked and quickly angered manager before it's owner flipped back onto her dragon's shoulders.

 

"Now then... Let's go!" she shouted, the boys hurriedly grabbing onto the dragon's feet as it prepared to take off, Katsuya ripping the cloak from around his neck and throwing it at the manager with a grin. He turned back as the coliseum disappeared below, the enormous dragon soon passing through the clouds and out of sight from those below. "You said the desert right?" Mai asked, looking over the dragon's wings. The three nodded, Katsuya looking up as the wind howled past their faces.

 

It was interesting; despite the force against them, holding onto the dragon's feet was... Well, easy. Speaking of the dragon. "Hey... How did y' summon th' monsters without drawing th' cards?" he called out, the other two following his gaze with equal curiosity.

 

There was a short chuckle, the woman turning back to focus on 'steering'. "One of the basic skills of the 'Summoner' class," Mai responded, steering her dragon with the chain leash tight in her hands. "Any monster I've summoned," she explained, "I can summon again for a smaller amount of lifepoints!"

 

The clouds parted as their ride abruptly began to dive down toward the ground. The sight of the desert boundaries came into view as the dragon landed to a fairly graceful stop, Mai sliding off the back of the monster before it vanished into dust and allowed the boys to come to the ground as well.

 

"Hnhnhnhnhn... That's not all I can do either," she added with a smirk, pulling the 'Koke' card from the tip of her whip's blade. Despite the small hole it now held in the side, it seemed in relatively good condition. Hopefully that was good for the monsters too. "Watch," she said with a small grin, before tossing the card forward into the desert. "Tetra-summoning," she shouted, the card she threw glowing briefly with a golden light. "Koke!"

 

The boys blinked, before watching as the card divided into four separate clouds of smoke before swirling into equally smoking spheres. Each one dispersed at the same time, revealing a series of large, dull feathered chickens that somehow reminded Katsuya of some other game he'd played before. Probably nothing though, he decided with a mental shrug, instead turning as Mai gave them a somewhat smug smirk.

 

"Ah... You can summon multiple monsters!" Yugi asked, following behind Mai and the others as they walked toward the Koke.

 

She merely nodded, moving over to one of the birds and stroking the side of it's head as it lightly crowed in response. "That's right... However," she added with a frown, looking at the others with a fairly severe stare, "Don't expect me to do something this large scale again..." The woman turned, hands moving to her hips as she continued. "It takes a lot of lifepoints to do multiple summons from one card, even a weak one! It may only be a fraction of the original summon, but I still have to multiply that four times!" The three nodded, swallowing somewhat nervously as the woman pulled herself onto the Koke she was standing beside. "Now," she said with a renewed smirk, her koke clawing at the ground somewhat. "How about we get going before the welcoming party comes over from the other side of the town?" Welcoming party?

 

Katsuya turned, Yugi and Mokuba following his gaze as a small crowd began to develop in the distance. Oh. The coliseum audience. Riiiiiight... They probably wanted their money back, huh... "Ah... Good idea," he said with a nervous laugh, hopping onto the nearest Koke and adjusting his seat on the bird as it shook itself roughly. "So," he asked with a cough, wobbling somewhat as the bird took a step forward to flap it's small wings for a moment. "...Any idea how we ride these things?"

 

"Well," Mokuba began, grabbing a few oddly long strands of feathers that hung from the side of the birds' head and turning to the others with a blank expression, "If it's anything like horseback riding..." He shook the strings slightly, the Koke giving a loud crow before taking off at a high speed 'gallop'. "Ha-Haaaah!" He turned back, laughing nervously as the bird continued running. "I was right! W-Woaaah!"

 

"A- Mokuba!" Katsuya looked down at the feathers, grabbing the same ones Mokuba had taken while the others did the same. Okay, okay... These were the 'reins' and... "Alright..." He gave them a shake, lightly tapping the sides of the bird he was on with a nod. "Hya!"

 

The Koke gave a loud crowing call, rushing off along with the others behind it and leaving a trail of dust in its wake. Within moments the birds came to a steady pace alongside each other, sand quickly brewing into a storm around them. The four quickly ducked behind the Koke's heads, Yugi pulling his headband down while Mai and Katsuya attempted to block the sand with their arms.

 

"Gh... F'rgot about this," he shouted, laughing nervously as they went against the sand without a change in the pace.

 

"You forgot?" Mai asked incredulously, looking at the boy as she held the wing of her still present butterfly cape over her face. "Are you serious?" He shrugged, shaking his head as the wind howled through his ears.

 

"Eh... Kinda," he shouted, laughing despite the situation. "Hey that r'minds me," he continued, turning to the woman as the Koke continued on their trek through the storm. "If you're here t' test this thing," he asked, the others as well turning with the question, "How come we didn' know abou' that?"

 

Mai gave a shrug, Mokuba pulling his koke back somewhat to sit between the two as Yugi took a position on Katsuya's other side. "That's because we weren't given a name for the other Beta-Tester!" he yelled, voice somewhat drowned out by the howl of sand as the boy looked to Katsuya and Yugi. "Nii-sama found out that the Big 5 hired a tester," he continued with a shout, "But he never found out who it was!" The boy turned to Mai, biting his lip before laughing nervously. "I don't think nii-sama will be too happy to find out that they went out of town for the hire in addition to already hiring behind his back though... Especially since you were at Duelist Kingdom..."

 

The woman smiled, shaking her head as she waved the statement off. "I'm sure your sister will be fine with it," she said with a small laugh, ignoring the boy's jump at her reference to the woman. "After all, it's these 'Big 5' people she needs to deal with, neh?"

 

Mokuba blinked, before turning on Katsuya almost accusingly with an incredulous glare. "K-Katsuya-nii!" he said with a shout, Mai blinking with slight surprise as Katsuya in question tensed. "I know that Yugi found out on his own, but that doesn't mean you can just tell-"

 

"Ahhh, it's alright 'Mokuba-kun'..." Mokuba turned again, Katsuya merely laughing nervously at the near death sentence he'd received from the boy. Mai smirked lightly, tightly gripping the feather 'reins' of the Koke. "I found out on my own, Jonouchi has nothing to do with this..." she continued to smile, bowing her head. "It's not his fault, alright? And you can trust me on this," she added reassuringly, "Your nee-san's secret is safe, alright?"

 

He stared, before nodding somewhat. At least this meant everyone on the 'party' was in the know? "Hn... Alright," he said with a frown, before turning away to face the desert storm. "But you three are the only ones who know about nee-sama then right?" he asked, looking at the others from the corner of his eye. "There's no one else?" he continued, voice laced with evident worry.

 

They nodded, Katsuya in particular adamant about the statement. "'F 'course," he shouted, eyes somewhat wide despite the sand. "I haven' said a thing t' anyone, honest!" If anyone else knew... Well they'd have probably found out a long time ago. Ehehe...

 

"We wouldn't reveal Kaiba-san's secret Mokuba," Yugi said with a nod, a determined smile on his face. "Trust me," he continued, grinning somewhat despite the sand in his face, "The secret is safe with us!" Again Mokuba nodded, moving to speak before Mai's voice interrupted him.

 

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news," she said, pulling the 'reins' on her Koke as the bird came to an abrupt stop. "But what is that?" The boys turned, their own birds stopping as a series of vine-like tentacles burst from the ground as it cracked and crumbled into an immense and impassable fissure. Enormous blocks of stone and rock came from the ground, shifting and merging before they rose up to form a twisted, two headed creature with a single clawed arm.

 

"Gh... That..."

 

"It's 'Sandstone'!" Yugi cried, the koke he was on pulling back with a frightened screech, the birds all pulling back as a chasm continued to form between them and the monster. "A rock golem..!"

 

Katsuya swallowed, looking at his deck holder for a moment. "I'm gonna take a wild guess an' say that tryin' t' use normal weapons against this thing would be pretty much pointless!" he shouted, drawing a card only to groan. 'Giant Trunade'. Damn it. "Hnn... Cross yer fingers guys," he shouted to the others, watching as they drew their own cards. It was either that or...

 

_'Sliced into fleshy little ribbons'_ , as the creepy dog said. "Hnn... Polymerization," Yugi said with a frown, shaking his head as his card vanished. Mai as well drew a card, before allowing it to evaporate into nothingness before turning away from the others. The woman let go of the 'reins', standing on the back of her Koke to stare down the monster before them.

 

"You boys just sit tight," she said with a nod, a card misting into existence again. "I have just enough lifepoints to summon the pet dragon again, this will-"

 

"Battle Ox!" Mokuba shouted from behind them, the others turning as he tossed the card forward. A small 'explosion' of sand occurred as the monster took form, the armored minotaur appearing to swing its axe and snort at the enormous stone beast before it. It was fairly small compared to the monster, but while the others stared, Mokuba merely pointed the beast forward with a confident nod. "For the duel monsters," he shouted through the sand, "It's only a matter of point calculation!" A bellowing cry came through the air with that, the Battle Ox charging toward the immense Sandstone to cut down the numerous green tentacles it sent his way. "This will be easy for him," he continued, watching as the monster charged along the craggy monster's body with ease whilst dodging the creature's three sharp claws. "Attack!"

 

A feral shout came through the air, stone and rock crumbling to the ground as the Battle Ox cut through Sandstone's main head. Rocks crumbled into dust, filling the chasm as the monster collapsed into nothing but a few steel claws. Sand began to clear from the air, the others lowering their arms as the sky once again became blue and sunny in the monster's wake.

 

"Ah..." The four watched as Battle Ox returned to Mokuba's side, carrying with it the three bladed claws the monster held. As Mokuba took the claws in confusion, the Ox vanished, becoming nothing but dust like the monster behind it. The desert was clear. The sun was out...

 

"Th' sand storm 's gone," Katsuya muttered, eyes wide as he shook sand from the furred gloves he was still wearing. He turned to the others, Mokuba currently watching as the claws fit themselves around his hand with wide eyes. Huh. Talk about 'weapon upgrade'...

 

"Sandstone must have been creating the storm," Yugi said with equally wide eyes, looking in the distance at where a large series of mountains and cliffs sat as the others turned to him. The stone in the distance created an immense and unending wall of sorts from what the four could see but despite the distance, looking back proved it much closer than the town was. "That must be the cave over there," he continued, the others following his gaze to a distant 'building' of sorts. That was the cave?

 

The Koke took off with a start, Katsuya shouting with surprise before leaning back into the ride. Even from there, the building looked large. Tall pillars rose from the ground, huge wide staircases leading from the desert sands and up into an incredible arching door... "If that's th' cave," he asked, volume far lower than it had been while running through the sand storm, "Then whats with th' building around it?"

 

"Most likely the cave itself was meant for other purposes," Mai said with a small frown, dust flying behind them as the Koke ran. The boys turned, listening as the woman continued. "While in the town, the NPC's all spoke of a 'God' of sorts that reigned on the other side of these mountains," she explained, eyes not moving from the structure. "I wouldn't be surprised if this building was meant to reveal an entrance of sorts to that..."

 

Yugi nodded, the Koke coming to a stop a few meters from the stone steps. "That makes sense," he said, looking at the immense structure before sliding off the side of the bird. "If the tunnel was originally meant to herald a deity, then the building would have to be fairly elaborate... It also helps to find the cave," he added with a small laugh, turning to the others with a grin.

 

Mokuba merely stared at the building in silence, before hopping off of the Koke and charging for the steps. "Hn... Lets go then!" he shouted, the others shaking their heads and watching as the boy rushed for the arched entrance. "There's no time to lose!"

 

"Gh! Mokuba," Katsuya shouted, before scratching his head with a sigh. "Ahhhh... Man... He keeps runnin' off like that, we're gonna end up in trouble..." Not that he really blamed him he guessed; Seto, right? He hopped off his bird, the others following behind only to watch as the Koke turned and fled back into the desert with a loud squawk. "E-Eh..!" Within moments the birds had vanished into the haze caused by the heat, leaving the trio to stare while Mokuba stopped on the steps. "What!"

 

Mai shrugged, crossing her arms. "I guess it was a one time summon," she said with a frown, looking to the others with a somewhat plain expression. "Normally we'd get the cards back otherwise..." Really? Huh... The blond sighed, shaking his head and watching the small 'dust cloud' that was the Koke's trail as it vanished in the far distance. "Man... There goes our ride," he muttered, before looking up the stairs as Mokuba turned down to them from the top.

 

"Come on!" Mokuba shouted down, the other three running up the stairs as he stood there. "Lets go!" Well just hang on a second, there were lots of stairs here!

 

"Alright, alright..." Katsuya followed the boy up the stairs, before they walked off into a large tunnel that was open from the door.

 

The archway they entered through was enormous, and as Yugi had said, incredibly elaborate. Through windows on the side they could see the murals painted around them, wonderfully laid across the ceilings and the windows themselves.

 

"Man," the blond muttered to himself, staring at the large image of a snow white 'bird' of sorts facing off against a five-headed dragon. "F'r a death trap, they put a hell of a lot of detail int' this..."

 

Mokuba followed his gaze, the others looking around the enormous hall as well. "They were planning on selling it in the end," he said somewhat quietly, eyes drifting over the image of five 'faceless' beings on the back of the white 'bird'. The others fell silent, staring up at the ceiling and slowly walking forward to simply observe the room. It wasn't hard to tell that each one of the 'faceless beings' represented some sort of counterpart to the dragon; on the far side facing the mechanized 'wind' head was its polar opposite, a small 'child' wielding a chakram of sorts. Against the next head, simple muddy scaled and serpent-like maw wide with apparent rage stood a cloaked woman in gold, a staff in her hands. The blue skinned and gilled head on the far opposite end faced another small 'child', form covered completely with a cloak and scarf. The flaming head beside it was faced with a plainly robed warrior wielding naught but an axe, draconic helm hiding his face. Five heads, Katsuya thought, eyes drifting over the final, red-robed figure facing the shadowed and monstrous head in the center. So then... Five 'heroes'? But there were four of them, weren't there?

 

Then again this was probably pre-programmed; and Mokuba had said that there were five pods. He shook it from mind, a sudden chill passing over them as they moved from the warmth of the sunlit room behind them and into the dark tunnels of the 'cave of death'. The difference between the glaring sun outside and the wet, dark cavern inside was quite shocking. Only a few steps in and the blond was shivering, holding his arms and looking around with nervous swallows. Where there had been stained-glass windows depicting unknown 'heroes' of sorts there was nothing but cold stone surrounding them at all sides save behind them. Water dripped from the wet rocks above, uneven ground beneath his feet causing him to almost stumble as they moved through what was already almost complete darkness. "Hihhh... Why th' hell does th' 'Cave of Death' have to look like this," he muttered, tensing as distant sounds moved in and out of his ears. Voices...

 

Did he hear voices just now? Yugi looked up at the blond somewhat sympathetically, an odd expression on his face. "Well," he said with a frown, "It wouldn't be a cave of death if it wasn't scary I guess..."

 

"Hihhhh..." The blond continued to shudder, shaking his head. "Doesn' change my opinion on this crap..." He shook himself, listening as a sound almost similar to wind passed his ears before turning around the corner to spot an enormous set of wooden doors. "Hn... Tha's new..." The others stared, blinking. Not locked... Just a set of hinges on each side that told them they'd be pushing the doors in to enter the room.

 

"Well," Mai began with a smile, "You know... The only reason why anyone would build something like that in a place like this, is if it's important to the game..." She crossed her arms, before moving forward and turning to the others with a wink. "Looks like we're on the right track boys," she said, pushing against the door with a slight grunt. "What do you say we see what's on the other side?"

 

Katsuya laughed somewhat, moving to help with the door as the others followed behind. "Heh... Jus' what I was abou' t' say," he said with a grin, pushing the doors open and walking out into the room with the others.

 

Wide eyes took in the chamber before them, the sound of the others' footsteps coming up beside him as they followed his gaze. The ceiling stood only a few meters above them, the tops of the walls easily visible. There was still no doubt however, as to where they were.

 

"Aaaah hell," he muttered, the doors swinging shut behind them with a resounding 'slam' as they moved further inward.

 

"No way," Mokuba said with disbelief, shaking his head. "We're in a maze?" he asked, looking at the others.

 

"Well," Yugi said with a frown, "If this game was made alongside or after the Duelist Kingdom... It would make sense that they'd include this as well..."

 

Mokuba turned, frowning at that. "Duelist Kingdom..?" Right... They didn't really say much about the Duelist Kingdom after it happened. ...For obvious reasons. "They had a maze board on that island?" he asked, blinking with slight surprise as Mai as well turned to stare questioningly.

 

The two boys nodded, turning to the younger. "Jonouchi-kun and I fought a tag-team duel using a maze-type board," Yugi explained, turning to the maze itself and looking at the single brick walls that stood between themselves and their goal. "It looks like this room is built based on that..."

 

Completely in fact. "Lets jus' hope th' walls don' move th' same way," Katsuya muttered, recalling the shifting walls of the last maze before freezing.

 

"KYAAAAAAAA!" Gh- A scream?

 

Katsuya turned, bolting after only a moment's thought. Not just any scream either... That was a kid's scream! He barrelled down the first path, turning a corner as the others shouted behind him. "O-Oi!" Mai called, the others yelling after the blond as he disappeared into the maze. "Jonouchi!" she continued, Katsuya paying the fading shouts no mind as he ran. "...Sheesh," she muttered with a frown, crossing her arms as she shook her head. "He complains about people running without thinking and then does it himself..."

 

Loud cracking sounds came from behind the three, the boys and Mai all turning as wood began to splinter from the door behind them. It was small to start. Mere splinters flaking off the sides of the wood was it creaked and pushed forward, small shavings gathering at the ground. As a large crack developed through one of the sides however, it quickly became apparent that the noise was no one's imagination. "E-Err... Yugi?" Mokuba muttered, stepping back as the wood continued to split and crack through the air. "What sorts of monsters did you see in the labyrinth board?"

 

Yugi swallowed, stepping back as an enormous red-coloured drill began to pierce through the wood. Just the tip for the moment, a single gyrating tip that was followed by many other small drills attached to it and... "That's the Labyrinth Tank!" he said with a shout, turning to the others with wide eyes. "We won't be able to fight that with our weapons," he continued with a nervous swallow, stepping back as wood began to fly off in chunks. "If there's one here, Jonouchi-kun might..."

 

Mai paled, turning toward the path with a serious nod. "Well what are we waiting for then?" she said with a shout, before the three bolted down the hall. "Lets run!"

 

The boys nodded, following her as the tank continued to break through the door before coming after them with regained speed. The sounds of whirring gears and cracking stone came from behind, mere splinters remaining from the door now that the tank was freed. "Katsuya-nii!" Mokuba shouted, the blond in question standing at a fork in the road ahead with a frown. "Katsuya-nii, run!" he continued loudly, the blond turning to spot the tank behind the three before nodding furiously.

 

That was not something he wanted to fight right now! "Right ahead 'f yah!" he shouted, tripping in his run and charging away down the left path. Sounds of spinning gears continued behind them, the other three quickly joining him as they fled. "We better hope this ain't a dead end!" the blond continued, before skidding to a stop as a second tank turned the corner. Despite the distance between them, the red headlights seemed to gleam with anticipation, the tank's targets already in sight. "Ahhhh shit," he muttered, turning as he and the others broke into a run for the opposite direction only to spot a third tank come down the opposite path. "Gh..." He winced, watching as the three tanks slowly closed in on the three. He did not want to think of what it would feel like to get impaled by that thing. Not at all.. "This ain't good..."

 

The four turned to look around, backs pressed against each others as Mai bit her lip. "The ceiling in here is too low for me to summon the pet dragon," she said with a wince, Mokuba nodding in agreement as his 'Spirit Ryu' vanished to his hand. "I don't suppose you have anything Yugi?" she continued, as Katsuya's own card vanished as well.

 

The boy clenched his jaw, looking at the deck in question before drawing a card. "Maybe," he said quietly, before looking at the card and brightening. The sounds of spinning drills were drawing close... The four were pressed completely against each other, and the drill's details were all to clear for comfort... "Alright! Magical Hats!" Yugi cried, the tanks closing in only for a shroud of darkness to surround the four. Everything vanished from sight completely.

 

An odd sensation came over them, a dispersed, scattering feeling that was quickly replaced by simply being surrounded by darkness. As though they'd been taken apart piece by piece and reassembled in a new location. Opening his eyes however Katsuya blinked, taking in the inside of the large black silk hat they were under with a grin.

 

"Th' hats... Heh, good call Yugi!" Katsuya said with a slight laugh, the hat vanishing in a wave of mist as they looked around. There appeared to be far less walls here. Even so looking back, it was obvious that the tanks wouldn't be catching them anytime soon. "Hah! We're on th' other side of the wall now!"

 

The others nodded, before a second scream came through the air. Loud and fear filled, and the others turned with wide eyes in the direction it came from. "That's a lot clearer than before," Mokuba said with a swallow, turning for a moment before he and the others took off in it's direction. "But who else could possibly be in here?" he asked, confused frown somewhat marred by his worry for the situation. The question remained unanswered as the sound of clashing weapons and shouts came from around the next corner. Slowing to a slight stop as they came around into the path the four stared, watching as a tall man dressed in blue attempted to fend off what looked to be a wall ghoul. Behind the man a young girl sat, huddled with her face in her hands from fear as her defender struggled to hold off the monster with what looked to be a staff. Loud snarls came from the ghoul as it attempted to gnaw it's way through the weapon itself, its opponent almost buckling under the weight of the monster. There were no words for the situation. If anything, it was fairly obvious what needed to be done for the moment.

 

A single long look was shared among the four, before Yugi drew a series of arrows and fired. Each arrow was as quick as a bullet, and just as invisible until it was far too late. The wall ghoul reared, screeching as the man it had been fighting turned to them in confusion. Mai quickly doubled on the attack however, ignoring the man and running first across the ground and then along the wall itself toward the ghoul. Distracted by the number of arrows piercing it's face, it barely realized that Mai had wrapped her whip around the monster... Until it was already sliced in two by the blade from the whip, Mai landing on the other side of the monster as Yugi stood beside her from where he'd continued to fire arrows.

 

Even with the wall ghoul's defeat however, it was made fairly obvious that the the battle was not over. A low but otherwise human growl came through the air, the group looking down the path to watch as a 'Monster Tamer' appeared and began cracking his own whip across the ground. Despite his human appearance there was an inhuman glint in his eyes that told them he was not alone. Rumbling filled the air, the walls beginning to quake as the tamer ceased his movements. The sound continued, becoming louder and louder...

 

Cracks began to appear in the ground and Katsuya looked down with wide eyes, grabbing Mokuba and jumping from the spot. "Look out!" he shouted, the call lost as slabs of rock flew through the air to land haphazardly at the sides. The boys crawled to their feet, looking back with wide eyes as the dust from the destroyed ground cleared away from the air. They shuffled back, hurriedly running from the spot as an enormous worm faced them. Large fang like spikes grated against the sides of the cavern maze, round mouth practically spinning with rows of razor sharp teeth as it turned blindly on them. "Tch..." Katsuya pulled himself to his feet, pulling his spear off his back with wide eyes. "Th' labyrinth worm..!"

 

And that wasn't all. There was a screeching sound above them, Mokuba and Katsuya turning as a second monster appeared. Beady black eyes faced them from above, scuttling sounds clearly audible as a shadow appeared between themselves and the others. The boys quickly jumped back as the Landmine Spider hopped to the ground before them, Yugi and Mai turning from where they stood with

wide eyes. The path only had so much room after all, despite the fair amount of distance that the Monster Tamer continued to put between himself and the others. To say that he and Mokuba were now sandwiched between the worst replacement for 'bread' was an understatement.

 

"Gh..." Mokuba drew a card from his deck, only to wince as Katsuya did the same and groaned. Mokuba's card? De-Spell. His? Time Wizard. And since neither of them could play spells... A normally kick-ass card was going into his hand. "'Traditional way'?" Mokuba 'asked' with a worried frown, pulling out his dagger for his 'non-clawed' hand.

 

"Traditional," Katsuya said with grit teeth, pulling his spear as Mokuba charged beneath the spider. The monster instantly reared, Mokuba pulling back to avoid the arachnid's legs as Katsuya charged as well. "Righ'... I'll take th' top you take th' bottom," he shouted, the rest of the path unseen to them as they ran at the spider. The blond jumped onto the beast, preparing to ram his spear through it's head only to find himself holding on to it as his weapon was cut in two by its oddly solid brow. Mokuba ducked and rolled beneath the spider, stabbing upward as the spider attempted to throw Katsuya off in annoyance. Katsuya yelped, spear ramming into the monster's abdomen as he attempted to hold on. "HaaaAahhh..! Y' havin' any luck there?" he called, unable to pull the blade free to do more.

 

There was no answer save three sharp blades puncturing the head of the monster he sat on, a loud moaning noise coming from the monster as it slowly stumbled forward. Ah. It was...

 

Katsuya rolled off the spider, pulling his spear out of the beast and watching as Mokuba crawled out from underneath it. "Hehehe... Does that answer your question?" he asked with a grin, Katsuya shaking his head in response.

 

"Hah! I guess," he said, shaking his head, before paling as the spider's corpse vanished. Rumbling had come through the air again, and now that the spider was dead it was more than clear- though Mai had taken out the Monster Tamer, the blade of her whip slicing through the man's neck rather cleanly, the worm still had its last orders to act on. All they could hear and see was the crumbling rocks from the walls as their ground support vanished, Mokuba turning from where he'd been walking toward the others with a hesitant frown. And then horror, as the sounds vanished briefly. "Oh fu-"

 

"GRUEEEEEEEEEE!"

 

Piles of rock flew through the air, Katsuya finding himself airborne as the worm burst through the stone beneath him. He could see the rocks as they landed to the side, the walls decimated by its attack. He could see the faces of his friends, their eyes wide as they looked up... He could see the long, circular row of gleaming teeth, held wide and spread apart as the mouth opened up for its latest victim. Shit. Katsuya's eyes widened, body unable to move for reasons beyond him. Shit. He was falling...

 

It seemed slower than it really was, far slower, like some replay on a soccer game... And then it all sped up again, and he found himself looking into an opening worm's mouth.

 

Shit!

 

The worm's large mouth opened still wider than it already was, the blond barely holding onto his weapon as he fell toward the opening with a shout. Face first, and in he went... And then it was all dark.

 

"Katsuya-nii!" Mokuba shouted loudly, calls drowned out by the worm's scream. "KATSUYA-NII!"

 

"Jonouchi-kun!" Yugi shouted, he and Mai running forward and looking up with horror as the teeth from the mouth closed over.

 

Silence... Silence... Mai stared, shaking her head. This was a game. Just a game, so this shouldn't mean anything... Right? "Jonouchi!" Right? With a sickening squelch the worm appeared to 'swallow', a lump appearing near the top and moving down to join the rest of its body. With one last writhing search for possible victims, the rest of the crowd drawing back in horror, the monster ducked back into its hole... Leaving horrified silence in its wake.

 

"A-Ahhh..." Mokuba stared, eyes wide as the sounds of burrowing met their ears. "Ahhh... K..." Silence... Nothing but silence. No sign that he'd somehow survived, or re-started the game. Just... "K...Katsuya-"

 

"GUREEEEEE!" They jumped, an earsplitting screech tearing through the air from the tunnels below. "...REEEEEE!" The group stared as the worm abruptly tore back through the same hole it created, writhing uncontrollably as it screamed. The remaining walls crumbled as it slammed against them, flailing through the air from some unknown pain. "GUEEEEEE!"

 

With a gurgling cry the middle of the beast poked forward, before being cut completely by a slime covered arm and blade. Still the screams continued, blood and bile pouring from the wound as the arm forced its way out and jammed the spear back in place. One slice more was all it took, the arm pulling the blade around the side of the beast as the now severed top fell to the ground with a disgusting 'splat'. Wriggling on the ground for a few moments it slowly stopped moving, the source of its pain and end stepping out from the corpse with rasping breaths.

 

"Guh... Ch... Hah... Hah..." Slowly Katsuya pulled himself from the corpse, spitting on the ground and shaking slime from his body. "Euuuughhh..." The others stared, the blond slowly looking forward and shaking the fluids off his body with a retching choke. "That," he said with another disgusted choke, greenish, white 'fluid' gummed in his hair and clothes, "Is way easier in th' movies... An'... Way less disgustin'," he added with a visible shudder, the corpse behind him vanishing with the gunk on his body as his lifepoints went up. "Next time I try tha'," he added, collapsing to his knees with a groan as his spear repaired itself as well, "Someone slap me... Alrigh'?"

 

He'd... Survived...

 

There was silence, the two people that they'd just saved slowly looking at each other before the smaller walked over. Despite the slime and flesh and blood all being gone, it was still a little hard for Katsuya to see for the moment. Even with his 'raised stamina', that entire attack had been exhausting, and compounded by the smell he'd been stuck with inside the monster. The young girl came over to him, Katsuya watching with narrowed and confused eyes as he saw her face.

 

"I must thank you," the girl was saying, her subject merely frowning as he looked over black hair and large blue eyes. "You, and your friends, you all saved our lives..." Y-Yeah... That was all great but...

 

"...Mokuba?" the blond muttered, the boy across from him blinking as he came over with the others. "...I think we got issues here," he muttered, shaking himself. Why? Why was it...

 

That there were suddenly two of Mokuba? The others came over, swallowing nervously as the small girl stepped back. Despite the dress and clearly well-kept hair, the resemblance was... Astonishing.

 

"She looks exactly like Mokuba," Mai was whispering, helping Katsuya up and staring with wide eyes as the blond struggled to his feet before opting to lean against his spear.

 

Mokuba and Yugi as well looked at the girl, staring as she was once again accompanied by the taller man in the group. "I must thank you," the man stated, bowing deeply with slightly ragged breaths and pulling the group's attention from the eerie resemblances for the moment. "As Meyari-sama said, you have saved us both... Gh!" He abruptly broke into a fit of coughs, the girl beside him looking up with worried eyes.

 

"Earu," the girl said, lightly grabbing the man's arm as he looked down. "Please, save your breath... You've done too much," she continued quietly, "You shouldn't exhaust yourself further..."

 

The group stared, watching as 'Earu' merely shook his head. "I know," he said with a small smile, his staff clattering to the ground only to vanish into a fine gold dust. "Please forgive me Meyari-sama, but I must abandon this form for the moment... Fear not," he added with a confident smile, looking over the group with an odd expression. "We can trust these people."

 

A quiet sigh was given at that, the man abruptly collapsing into a ball of light identical in colour to the dust of his staff. The light however, quickly cleared, and in its place, a small unconscious body was on the ground, a form that the boys had seen once before.

 

"A-Ah..." Katsuya blinked, shaking his head as his vision cleared up. He stepped forward, looking at the ground with wide eyes. "The fairy from before..!" It... Got bigger?

 

...Uh? They watched as 'Meyari' picked up the fairy, smiling sadly as the little one gave a small cough. "Earu," she said sadly, before hiding the fairy behind her crown and turning to the others. The girl gave a steep bow, before again looking over them with wide eyes. "For you to have Earu's trust," the girl said, shaking her head. "You must truly be powerful..." There was evident awe in her voice as she said this, the others merely listening and watching in confusion as the Mokuba-look-alike continued on. "I am the Queen of the lands beyond this cave, 'Meyari' of 'Gorador'," she said with a slight bow, looking over the four. "May I ask who you are?"

 

They shared looks, Katsuya coughing and speaking first. "Er... Jonouchi Katsuya," he said somewhat hesitantly, the others speaking as well.

 

"Kujaku Mai," the woman beside him stated, bowing slightly with a little less hesitance.

 

"Ah... Mutou Yugi," their friend added, nodding his head and smiling. "It's nice to meet you..."

 

Mokuba nodded, though he appeared visibly unnerved by the 'look-alike' standing before them. "And I'm Kaiba Mokuba," he said with a swallow, before looking down the path. "...If you come from the area past the exit?" he asked, "From... 'Gorador'... Does that mean you know the way out then?"

 

The girl shook her head, biting her lip. "Forgive me," she said with a small bow, folding her hands in front of her. "But I'm afraid not... I became lost after I entered this labyrinth to find Earu..." Ahhh...

 

That wasn't good... "Well, there's no helpin' that," Katsuya said with a shrug, putting his spear back on the holster on his back while idly noting that his 'dog gauntlets' had claws on them now. Huh... More weapon upgrades? Ah well. "Guess we jus' have t' keep movin' then," he continued, starting forward with a slight nod.

 

The others nodded in agreement, following close behind as they began to move. "We're probably near the exit," Yugi said quietly, looking around with somewhat narrowed eyes. "The ceiling is beginning to rise, and the path doesn't appear to have any forks in it..." Katsuya nodded, looking around somewhat nervously. So they were almost out then. That was great, but something didn't feel right. In fact...

 

It almost felt like he was being... Watched... "Hey... 'F this thing 's based on th' match in th' Duelist Kingdom," he began, the path ahead slowly beginning to widen along with the rising ceiling, "Do y' think that means-"

 

A low rumbling sound came from above and across from them, the crowd looking up and swallowing as Katsuya was cut off. Light began to come into the room, seemingly emanating from the monster that stormed into existence before them. Blue legs held a steady base, a gaping mouth hanging open from the being that was 'Suijin'. Bottom and top were held in place by a tiny green sphere, 'Kazejin's cheeks filled with air and ready to attack from it's position in the center. And above it all, with hulking golden arms sat the third of the trio, 'Sanga of the Thunder'.

 

And together, creating the monster they would now have to fight... They were the Gate Guardian. "Does that answer your question?" Mokuba said with a swallow, looking up as the others reached for their decks.

 

"Pretty much," Katsuya said nervously, before looking toward Yugi as the guardian above them stood protectively in front of the exit. They knew the power this thing had. If they were going to nail this in one hit though... "...We got one shot at this," he said seriously, looking back at the metallic beast. "That thing's got too much d'fensive power f'r us t' blast through otherwise... An' I don' think our weapons are enough to deal too much serious damage to it..."

 

Yugi nodded, looking back at his deck himself. "I have Polymerization," he said with a slight frown, reaching for the cards. "And combining that with your Dragon Nails, if we make the next draw..." There was a pause, before Mai stepped forward and pulled a card from her deck.

 

Another moment of silence, and the woman smirked, appearing to nod to herself as she stepped forward. "You boys don't worry about a thing," she said calmly, flashing the card in her hands to them before looking at the monster before them. "Just get ready to move when I say so, understand?"

 

The boys looked over, before nodding and drawing their cards. If all went well, they wouldn't have to get help. But depending on what Mai did, their chances could shoot up to an impossible advantage. For a brief moment there was silence, each of them looking over their draw and turning toward their opponent as the Queen stood behind them. Mokuba's card vanished from sight, the boy quickly drawing his dagger while the others kept their hold on the cards. Weapons were drawn and readied...

 

And with narrowed eyes the four turned on the Gate Guardian, each one taking a stance against the beast. Given Yugi's look, he knew what his friend had drawn. And now it was time for his own card! "Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" Katsuya shouted, holding the card forward and watching it vanish into ash. In a flurry of black red flames the beast appeared, large black scaled wings spreading across a majority of the room before the beast took position alongside its master with a loud roar.

 

"Skull Demon," Yugi cried, black thunder striking the ground as his own monster appeared, thick bone claws flexing as the beast stood alongside the people at double their height. "Mai?" he called, the woman beside them gripping her whip tightly. She had a plan...

 

So what was it? Mai turned, giving a single nod as she held her own card forward. "When the trap activates," she called out, cracking the ground with her whip. "Until then, attack!" With pleasure! The boys charged, monsters running along side them as they went. It seemed mostly pointless to attack a metal monster with nothing but swords and arrows the blond told himself, Mokuba and himself running up opposite sides of Suijin in an attempt to reach the more vulnerable joints of the monster. Indeed, the Gate Guardian didn't even bat an eye as the boys struck, at least until Katsuya's spear found it's way into Suijin's eye. While Yugi focused on impaling the face of Kazejin above, Mokuba managed to gouge the second eye that Suijin had with his three claws, the monster giving a pained roar in response.

 

Odd silver fluid began to drip from the injuries, the boys staring in slight shock before the sound of rushing water met their ears. Slowly the two looked into the monster's mouth, turning back to the others with pale faces. "Ahhhhh... ...Mai?"

 

The woman didn't move, attention not at all moving from the monster ahead of her. "Not yet," she shouted, holding the card directly toward the monster. Water continued to sound through the air, a small mist exiting the beast's mouth as the boys slowly made their way back down the monster's 'legs'. Rumbling was beginning to sound through the monster, and after sharing a nervous glance he and Mokuba again looked back.

 

"...Maaaai?" Katsuya repeated, the others turning to the woman as she shook her head.

 

"Just a little longer," she called, still holding the card as it began to glow somewhat. "It won't work otherwise!" They looked at Suijin, Skull Demon and Red-Eyes both sharing unnerved glances as the boys ran off the monster lest the rumbling throw them off. They looked back, stumbling to a stop as the sight of rushing water met their eyes.

 

"MAI?!" the blond shouted, before water abruptly shot forward from the beast.

 

"NOW!" she yelled, tossing the card forward as Yugi and Katsuya pulled their own from their 'hands'. Mokuba ducked as the card flew over his head, appearing to burn before repelling the mass of water heading toward them. "Mirror Wall!" she called out, a wall of ice and glass quickly growing from the ground and sending the water right back at the monsters. Katsuya handed Yugi his spell card, the boy holding them up with a nod as their opponent roared in evident pain. Suijin's attack might have been halved...

 

But the Gate Guardian's complete power still stood! "Polymerization!" he shouted, the spinning portal appearing behind Red-Eyes and Skull Demon to pull them inside. Dust and ash flew through the air, slowly misting out from the portal to form a single enormous dragon in the monsters places, and with a mighty roar the bone armored dragon faced its opponent. "And next," the boy continued, the second card in his hand vanishing from sight as he held it toward the beast. "Dragon Nails!"

 

Thick black claws appeared on the dragon's claws as it gave a manic and feral grin, before Mokuba tossed a third card to the boy with a shout.

 

"Yugi," he called with a nod, his friend catching the card and looking over it as the boy spoke. "Lets finish this now!" Yugi nodded, lifepoints ticking down yet again as he held the third card up with a determined frown. "Quick Attack!" he called out, he and Katsuya all stepping away from the Gate Guardian as the card vanished. Black Skull Dragon moved forward, standing above them and charging a blast of dark flames in its throat as the magic took effect. Mokuba joined the two beneath the beast, the boys pointing the enormous dragon forward with a shout. "Go, Black Skull Dragon... METEOR FLARE!"

 

Heat filled the room as the attack was released, and in a blast of fire the monster clattered into scrap metal pieces. The flames burned away at the metal on the ground, ashes filling the air as the Gate Guardian was destroyed. Smoke filled the room completely, clouding their vision as their lifepoints quickly rose from the finished attack despite the difficulty in breathing they were now having.

 

A few moments passed... The smoke blew away, and when the dust cleared, both monsters were gone... And in the distance, there was a large wide tunnel.

 

Katsuya turned to Yugi, smirking somewhat as the exit cleared for them. "Heh... Whaddya know?” he said with a laugh, spear replaced on his back as the others put their weapons away themselves. "Looks like I got t' save th' card y' gave me!"

 

Yugi smiled, nodding at the statement. "Hah... That's right," he said, looking up at his friend as he put his bow on his shoulder. "That was a good draw, Jonouchi-kun..."

 

The group turned, shouts coming from the other end of the tunnel as the others stared. "Ah... Who is that?" he asked, turning as the queen beside them brightened.

 

"Ahh..! I know that voice," she called, running forward as the others quickly followed behind. Meyari stumbled somewhat, running forward and into the tunnels with a large grin in place. "Eri-san!" she called, coming to a stop in front of a large crowd with torches. "Ah... ...All of you," she continued, hands brought to he face in surprise. "Oh... You all came..." The others paused, slowing to a stop as they looked over the crowd. Mostly it was made of soldiers, each well armed despite their hands being occupied with torches. Helmets covered half of their faces, thick mail covering their bodies. At the front however, stood a young woman, long black hair hanging behind her as she bowed her head toward the queen in evident respect.

 

"Meyari-sama," she said calmly, spectacled eyes filled with worry. "Are you alright?" she asked, the queen standing in front of her as she spoke. "We attempted to come into the cavern earlier, to aid in your search for the chosen ones of the prophecy, but we were stopped by a strange force..." Chosen ones? Prophecy?

 

...Well this was a game he guessed... Meyari nodded, smiling. "Of course," she said with a relieved sigh, before turning to gesture to the ones behind her. "Eri-san," the girl continued, "These people... These four heroes saved my life," she stated, looking back to the woman with wide eyes. "Do you think that perhaps, these people are..."

 

'Eri' as she was apparently called blinked, before turning to the group with narrowed eyes, as though examining them for all apparent details possible. "...Perhaps," she said somewhat cryptically, the others sharing uneasy glances. "Perhaps... Great heroes?" she asked, stepping forward with a polite nod. "I must thank you for your aid... What lands do you hail from?" she continued, the queen standing in silence beside her.

 

"Ahhh..." The four swallowed, again sharing uneasy glances. Lands? ...What were they supposed to do, give their hometown, what... "Er... ...Tokyo?" Katsuya said with a shrug, Mokuba smacking his forehead in response. "Gh- What," he muttered, looking down at the boy as his friend shook his head, "I ain't lyin'!" he protested, crossing his arms.

 

The boy shook his head, muttering something about that not being the point before Meyari giggled somewhat. "Please... It's fine," she said calmly, the four turning to her as she smiled. "We needn't know... The world is vast after all, and not all lands are known to us..." Er. Yeah. Yeah he guessed that made sense. Um... "However, I must offer you at the very least an invitation to my palace," she continued, bowing her head. As she did so the crowd behind her did the same, bowing low and deep as the four shared awkward glances. The crowd stood again, Katsuya and the others looking at the girl before them as she continued to smile. "Will you come with us?" she asked, staring at them with wide eyes. "Will you join us perhaps, for a dinner in your thanks?" Come with them..?

 

(And how would dinner work, now that he thought about it...) The four turned to each other, silent messages passed among the glances. They had a goal in mind already after all; save Seto, beat the game, get the hell out of there. Was there anything else to do, that would take them on that path though? This tunnel was their only lead. The tunnel that led to the country that these people apparently came from. Which meant that it was quite likely that this invitation to the palace in said country was also their only shot at getting to Seto.

 

...And if that was the case... "...Sure," Katsuya finally said with a nod, the others voicing their own responses as well. "Lead th' way."

 

* * *

 

A volcano's heat was often attributed as one of the hottest naturally occurring things on the surface of the earth. Next to lightning, it probably was.

 

Depending on where you stood anyway. Of course who knew what sorts of strain the 'virtual' body could take. Given the fact that the feeling of heat was still present, it was quite likely that life was still present. Blistering heat filled the air of the 'dungeon' cell, a dry, smoking heat that threatened to blister her skin. It was as though the lava below had increased in volume... Coming closer, increasing the heat on what was apparently turning out to be a stone made slow-cooker.

 

Seto wasn't the only one who could feel the heat; if anything, having been sitting and waiting as it slowly increased was better for her than for anyone coming into the room. But for the moment the Witty Phantom could care far less about that. In fact there was only one thing he really cared about, and she was currently hanging on a stone cross on a stone pillar in the center of a private volcano.

 

"You're a real piece of work aren't you?" he spat as he came into the room, slowly fading into appearance from the shadows to stop a few meters from his captive. There was no response from the woman however. She merely hung limp on the cross, head sinking forward to rest on her chest in an apparently exhausted slumber. The phantom snarled, all 'class' abandoned in the duel monster's rage. "I can hardly believe the problems you've given us," he continued with narrowed eyes, still receiving no response as he paced around the room. "I send in one of the Sangan to restrain your legs, so as to prevent further issues," the monster spat, flames leaping from the lava pit behind him, "And you punt him into the lava pit!" He reeled on the still motionless woman, scowling as his prisoner merely continued to hang limp and motionless. "Sangan don't grow from the ground you know," he hissed, orange coloured skin reddening to a more crimson-gold shade as he growled. "I have half a mind to simply replace you with a separate sacrifice, deal with this problem some other way... I hear there's a nice young Queen from the northern lands, actually _asking_ to be sacrificed..."

 

'Phantom' turned back, as though looking to see if he received a response from the words. There was only silence however. A fact that quickly proved to incense him even more. He walked over, eyes narrowed as he slapped the still motionless woman across the face. Still no answer, and in fact if not for the occasional movement from her chest he would say he was beating a corpse.

 

"Are you listening?" he snarled, shark-like teeth bared with rage as shadows appeared to physically radiate from his form. "I exist to torment my captives!" the demon roared, the flames in the room leaping to intense proportions, "Not lul them into a sleep!" Another slap, and still no response as he finally leaned in to stare down at his captive's head. "Can you hear me?" the demon bellowed, voice echoing around the room. "You little rat!"

 

Suddenly there was a movement, an intensified heat in the air that had the phantom himself tense up, holding him frozen in place as silent muttering met his ears. Narrowed, ice cold eyes turned slowly upward, and with her own voice the woman spoke in a dangerously frightening tone that cut the monster's breath short. "Loud and clear," she muttered, eyes appearing to glow with an eerie light. " **FIRE**."

 

In a mere instant all that the phantom could see was red. In the moments before, for a split second he watched as Seto pulled her head back, taking in as much air as possible before blasting it forward in a stream of flames that engulfed the monster completely. The Witty Phantom fell to the ground in seconds... During which a howling and pained scream reverberated about the room, bouncing off the stone walls and down the hall. And still the blast of flame continued to stream from her mouth, the woman turning her head to the ropes that held her right arm in place and setting them ablaze before the attack finished. It hurt. It hurt like hell, she knew that well. Even so she allowed the last of the fire to catch onto her sleeve and arm, watching as the flames ate away at the ropes that held her in place. Charred and weakened ropes tore easily against the rough stone, and in an instant her sword arm was free to pull the blade from her side, burning pain or otherwise. She'd felt worse...

 

In her dreams, her nightmares, she'd felt worse. The sword was gripped tightly and as she hung by her second arm, flames continuing to work at her first, she easily sliced through the second series of ropes. With a soft thud the woman dropped to the ground and shaking her good arm somewhat before moving calmly toward the still wailing Witty Phantom on the ground.

 

"Pathetic," she muttered, fires still burning across her right arm as they angrily ate through the skin to the muscles beneath. She should be screaming... In all honestly, she wasn't sure why she _wasn't_. But that wasn't something to worry about right now. This was a game.

 

And whatever pain she felt now would all vanish in an instant with her next move. The woman stood, watching as the Phantom slowly looked up with wide and fear filled eyes. The rest of the monster was burning away, skin blackening and flaking away. Was her arm doing that now? It felt like it...

 

"Another mistake," she growled, coming closer as the phantom gave unheard pleas of mercy. The woman held her blade tightly, bringing it forward with narrowed eyes despite the fires that had now likely destroyed the nerves on her arm. "Forgetting that I don't need cards to fight, Phantom!”

 

With a single light thud she brought her blade through the monster, the top half of the burning corpse remaining in place for a few moments as she passed...

 

Before falling to the ground behind her as she left the room through the acid green stone arch that held a rope bridge in place.

 

Fires dimmed down instantly, vanishing from sight as though having been submerged in ice cold water. She ignored the cheerful 'beeps' from the empty deck holder on her wrist, her lifepoints increasing by a small amount as she held her blade ready and stormed down the hall. Her arm was numb. She could scarcely feel it, and though the damage to her armor had been repaired her arm in itself was not in any sort of condition. Still she moved, eyes glowing with a dangerous light as she moved into more castle-like halls from the 'dungeon' she'd been inside. Hold her in this game would they? They would regret ever entertaining the thought.

 

She moved through the castle's dark paths, shouts already filling the halls in her wake. Already aware of her escape were they? A clever program, she'd give the board that. But she was far superior to some pre-programmed machine. The woman quickly ducked down a particularly dark hall on the side as shouts drew nearer, soon watching as a small crowd of humanoid duel monsters passed her by. In a stampede of footsteps they ran, quickly disappearing into the next hall and leaving her in silence as she remained in the shadows. Hnnn...

 

She looked around a large pillar she stood behind, eyes narrowed in thought. While it would be 'easy' to fool the program, there was still the matter of doing so. Not to mention, the matter of 'beating' the game so to speak. And if she was going to get anywhere near the exit to this place to do so, she would have to either somehow sneak through the halls undetected for what would possibly take hours, time that she most certainly did not have...

 

Or simply find some other way to hide and escape. However that would be...

 

Voices began to come from the other end of the hall, Seto tensing and drawing further behind the pillar. Tch- Well wasn't this great. She could always wait for them to pass she decided, listening as a single voice floated through the corridor. ' _Ruddy sangan,_ ' the voice muttered, footsteps coming down the hall from what was likely one being and only one. ' _And that Sanwitch too,_ ' it continued with evident annoyance, quickly proving to be alone. ' _How did anything like him come into magic?_ ' Hnn...

 

A constantly talking NPC? Perhaps placed for a specific purpose, interaction with the player? Though going and doing that would be incredibly moronic in the middle of the Boss Monster's Lair, so it was far more likely to be something else. Seto peered around the pillar, watching as what looked to be a darker form of the 'Lady of Faith' walked around the hall and began to pace. The hat wasn't the right colour she realized with narrowed eyes, attempting to place the card. Black...

 

The Lady of faith however had azure robes, with a rose coloured helm... And its counterparts had matching blue or white robes, with either a golden helm or a green one. This was a different card... One of the newer ones, she recalled with a frown, the 'Shadow Priestess of Ohm'. The only one that didn't look as though it would keel over first chance it got to fight. Seto watched as the woman continued to pace in front of the pillar, gritting her teeth and holding back a growl. Regardless of who she was, she was preventing her escape! With the pacing that was going on now she'd never get out of this place!

 

...Unless... "...Hn..." A small smirk came over the woman's face, Seto twirling the sword around her hand in silence to hold the handle forward as opposed to the blade. Quickly... She had to move quickly. Silently she walked over to the priestess, ignoring the woman's ramblings as she moved toward the monster's back. Closer...

 

Closer... "I can't believe the Phantom would hire such a- Aaa!" The priestess turned, abruptly struck in the brow by the hilt of Seto's blade. For a brief moment the monster's eyes widened, red eyes staring back at Seto's own blue before closing over with a groan. "Hnnn..."

 

There was a soft thud as the woman collapsed, Seto sheathing her blade and looking around the hall before pulling the priestess off to the side with her one good arm. Hn. Easy. Pathetically so for something that was just as strong as her 'Battle Ox', though she supposed the element of surprise helped with that. If she didn't move quickly though the monster would probably wake up she told herself, tossing the monster roughly against the back wall and getting to 'work'. But if she simply killed it now, she was almost certain that the robes would disappear, and as much as she didn't like the idea of having to hide she needed to get out of this place. Besides...

 

Who knew what sort of advantages a 'disguise' would prove against the 'game' she was in? She pulled the helm off the woman's head, smirking at the thought before pulling it over and proving one of her silent theories. As she expected. Most of the hair was from a wig on the hat, meaning that almost her entire head would be covered by the large headdress. She took the robes and weapons off from the monster in silence, throwing them over herself as more voices came down the hall. Tch...

 

Great, someone was coming already... She took the two urumi that the priestess had carried, hurriedly slicing through the now mostly cloth-less woman's throat in an instant and stepping back behind the pillar as the monster vanished into nothing. Monsters continued to pass her by, the woman watching as a trio of sangan followed by a child-sized version in white robes followed. Slowly they passed her by, leaving through the other end of the hall before Seto looked over herself in dull silence. The clothes had remained intact... The monster was gone, but the weapons and armor were not.

 

A dark smirk came on her face, Seto adjusting the large helm on her head before calmly stepping out from behind the pillar to re-enter the more lit hall. Her face was mostly hidden by the shadow of the helm, everything else hidden by the hair and robes. Hands gripped the urumi tightly, and in silence the woman walked through the castle. Holding the blades, she knew in the back of her mind that the weapons would not prove a foreign subject in battle, a fact that allowed the dark smirk to grow even further. The disguise was now in place, enough so that she could literally walk right out of the castle she bet. Provided of course, that a particularly 'intelligent' strain of AI wasn't in place on any of these monsters...

 

So long as that wasn't happening, she would easily remain hidden in plain sight. Which left only one more thing for her to do she told herself as she regained her narrowed glare. Get out of this hellhole and beat the ever loving crap out of the so called 'Board of Directors' sitting in her company building.

 

Along with anything else in her way.

 


	5. Decoy Damsel Situation

_-BRAM!- -BRAM!_

 

Boxes shifted against the constant pounding at the door, dust falling from the pipes on the ceiling from the force. At the back of the immense pile that they'd been shifting in case it finally gave however, Honda and Anzu were still pushing back with all their strength.

 

_-BRAM!- -BRAM!_

 

' _Open up_ ,' the voices from outside called, Honda and Anzu deciding not to grace the demands with an answer. _'Let us in!_ '

 

Constant pounding was bruising their arms, and in the morning it was likely that they would be coloured a dark blue-purple. There were deep impressions from the boxes on their palms and sides, both teens holding their push against the door. And still the pounding continued, shouts from outside marred only by an almost soundless buzzing noise from the other side.

 

_-BRAM! Br-_

 

The pounding abruptly came to a stop, Honda's eyes widening as he looked at the door and shook his head. "What th-" The teen pulled back, silence coming through the air as a few stray particles of dust fell to the ground. "They... They stopped?" he muttered, looking to Anzu with wide eyes.

 

The woman gave a hurried shrug, as if to say 'well don't look at me!' before muttering came from the other side of the door. It was one-sided. Muttering, pause, muttering, pause...

 

"Hang on..." He leaned against the barricade they'd made, narrowing his eyes as he attempted to make out the words with little success. "What are they talking about?" Anzu as well leaned into the pile, frowning as she attempted to make out the words as well.

 

"It sounds almost like they're on a phone," she said after a few moments, narrowing her eyes as well. A lot like they were on a phone actually. And if not a phone, perhaps... A radio? She stood back, shaking her head in slight confusion. The words were completely muffled. She couldn't make anything out at all. So then what... "...What could they possibly be talking about?"

 

* * *

 

The 'What' that they could be talking about was a good question actually. To get the answer however one would have to travel a number of floors up, to the second highest level in the building... To a large and dimly lit room, where on a large sprite filled screen a small victory fanfare was playing. The members of the 'Big 5' all stood up from their observation of the 'game' almost simultaneously, watching as the first of the three screens- now two since the 'merge' of two parties- under close eye began to show action. Within moments, close and detailed pixel versions of faces came across the screen for a spell. Fires coated the monster that had stood guard in the dungeon cell, and in seconds their captive was a fugitive as opposed to a prisoner. It had only taken moments. But those moments were enough, and those moments were more than shocking.

 

"How can this be _possible,_ " Ota hissed under his breath, the others turning on him almost instantly with the question. The screen seemed almost frozen on a seemingly empty hall, but the five all knew perfectly well who was standing behind that pillar within the game. It should have been impossible... Completely impossible, and yet-

 

Daimon was the first to answer to the question, eyes wide with a mix of surprise and rage as he turned to the man. "We should be asking you that," he growled, fists clenched tight as the small pixelated form of Seto Kaiba walked free across the screen, striking down a passing monster and vanishing from sight again. "You were the one who programmed the codes required to hold him in place!" the man shouted, "You swore that no man of his body type would be able to escape!"

 

The tech expert grit his teeth, narrowing his eyes. "Not everything relies on game code!" he shouted, turning on Daimon as well. "And what does it matter the specifics of what just happened??" he continued, "The fact remains that he's escaped! So why don't one of you try coming up with a plan yourselves!"

 

The glares continued to bounce about the table, muttered insults remaining as nothing more than just that. "I say we deal with this as we should have long ago," Oshita muttered under his breath, glaring at the others as he spoke. The men turned, listening as the older of the group continued "We should have pulled the plug on him hours ago," the man spat, glaring at the screen. "We could have had this dealt with easily had we done that!"

 

"And I already told you," Oka drawled, adjusting his glasses as he looked the others over. "To do that would be fatal to us, as it would involve over-riding the safety protocols on the pod. It's one matter for the multiplayer system," he continued, turning away from the screen. "After all, those machines haven't entered the emergency mode yet, so they aren't protected... But if an investigation were to occur, finding even the slightest interference, our entire strategy would be shattered," he warned lowly, eyes narrowed dangerously as the others fell silent.

 

Otaki dropped his briefcase to the ground and moved toward the door. "What are you doing?" Ota muttered, watching the man leave.

 

Otaki snorted, pulling the door open and shaking his head. "What does it look like you morons?" he said with a growl, "If we expect to get anything done we're going to need to deal with this from the inside!"

 

The inside! Ota swallowed, eyes widening briefly. Putting themselves into the game to program it from within was one thing when they were the only ones there. However with other people playing, they would need to discern those people's actions, work around them, prevent the attack code from targeting them...

 

"You realize what kind of risks that entails?" he asked slowly, the others turning to the man as he continued. "We could well end up in the same situation as our victims if we aren't careful! Making all our work pointless!"

 

"Hn! In that case, we'll just have to be careful, won't we?" Otaki answered, bowing his head with a smirk. "You designed most of this after all! Programmed and built it... Why wouldn't it be safe for us to continue the programming while others are playing from within?"

 

Because the mere presence could-

 

Nevermind.

 

There was an awkward silence, Ota growing slightly red before storming past the man. "Fine," he spat, pushing past the door as the others followed behind. He pulled out his phone, tapping a few buttons in as they moved for the elevator. "We'll need to make sure to get out within 30 minutes of full override," he continued, one of the others hitting the 'down' button and waiting for the doors to open. "It's the only guaranteed way to get rid of them without leaving any evidence!"

 

Oka smirked, arms crossed as they stepped into the elevator. "You seem nervous Ota-san," he said almost humorously. "Shouldn't something you put so much work and time into be a comfort rather than a pain?" The man grit his teeth, fixing the other four with a nasty glare rather than answering as he waited for the phone to pick up. Just did not understand the details of these things, did not...

 

There was a small click, and he turned away from his coworkers. "Saruwatari," he muttered, the guard on the other end waiting for any orders in silence. "Unlock the door to the second single-player room, but touch nothing," he continued, surprised questioning coming from the other end. "Don't ask questions!" he shouted, narrowing his eyes as his coworkers merely stared, "Just do it!"

 

The phone clicked, Ota folding it over and tossing it back in his pocket. The doors to the elevator had long since closed over, elevator moving steadily downward to its destination as the others held seemingly professional gazes. In a few moments, the door was opened.

 

The five headed steadily toward the room, Saruwatari already standing at the side of 'Test Facility 1-B' as they moved in. "That will be all," Daimon told the man as they moved, the guard bowing his head in response. "Go back to what you were doing before."

 

"Of course, Daimon-sama," the man said calmly, before making his leave back to those down the hall and outside the multiplayer room. The board in the meantime closed the door quietly behind them, turning to look at the otherwise silent room with frowns. The lights were on of course, given that they couldn't well cut the power and get away with saying 'it was an accident' when there was clear record that they were aware of Kaiba's presence. Unlike before however, during Mokuba's escape, the room had changed somewhat.

 

The pod which had opened during override had closed over again. And yet despite this, upon the screen at the side the words 'emergency override' were still flashing, sparks literally pulsing from the cord attached to the device. It was a dangerous state of operations... Glitchy, almost fatal. But extremely well watched and well recorded, the codes unable to simply be erased or altered as with everything else. Only an inside job could fix this...

 

Only that. In silence the men moved past the device, instead walking to the back and moving a small panel of the wall to the side to reveal a number pad. With the others behind him, Ota entered in the code.

 

Five...

 

Five...

 

Five sets of the same number, a code so ridiculously simple that no one would likely guess through it. That was the logic for anyone who found the hidden entrance at least. If it had been so carefully hidden, shouldn't it also be carefully coded? With the code entered in there was a loud 'hiss' from between steel panels in the room. A door slid first back into the room, and then to the side, leaving a large entrance to a somewhat darker one. A far larger one as well for that matter.

 

In the centre of the room sat an enormous super computer, to which five virtual reality inducing pods were attached. Though terribly lack-luster in comparison to the 'beta' pods, these machines were more than powerful enough to handle the same if not more intense programming. There were already cards in the machine, not that they really used them. It had only been to test certain portions of the game that any of them had even bothered to pick up the cards. It served a bit of irony for the situation at least...

 

With the 're-focusing' of KaibaCorp, they'd been forced to create machines based on the games that their current CEO so loved; so why not kill him with it? The men walked in, Ota moving over to a large 'master computer' at the side and tapping a few keys as five pods in the centre opened up. Seconds was all that it took for the devices to turn on completely, Ota not looking up from the 'keyboard' as he spoke.

 

"Automatic login is being initiated," he stated clearly, the men taking their seats as the devices closed in on them and held them in place. "Automatic override," he added somewhat nervously, tapping one last key before looking back to his coworkers, "Will initiate fifteen minutes after the completion of the game... If it comes to that."

 

"Not that that would happen," Oka said with a slight frown, watching his coworker run over to the final open pod. He stepped in, taking his seat and watching the device close around him and start up.

 

"No," Ota muttered under his breath, the glass sealing over him completely as a timer appeared across the screen on the helmet. "Not at all..."

 

_'One Minute to Moderator Login,_ ' the computer stated, the board members lying back and shutting their eyes in wait. This was it. Perhaps they'd find out how Ota's program had been overrun while they were at it as well. There had to be some reason after all. Things like that, things decided by a computer, did not simply 'disappear'.

 

' _Thirty seconds,'_ the computer continued, a timer appearing on the larger screen outside of the room despite there being no one to see it. ' _Three,_ ' the computer calmly counted, Ota silently praying that what could possibly be his most advanced creation wouldn't turn on him, ' _Two_ ,' it continued, the screen blackening as sensations and feelings vanished completely with the neural inhibitor taking hold of their minds. _'One..._ '

 

_-click_

 

The 'gods' had arrived.

 

* * *

 

This castle was probably the most ridiculously designed building she had ever seen, after Pegasus' own. With Pegasus, there had been a somewhat 'consistent' way of telling where you were despite the insane number of hallways. Namely the flowers that the man had, for reasons unknown, become so attached to. Or so she had been told by the man's young proteges during the dinner party she had attended before sealing the deal between I2 and KaibaCorp for the 'Duel Box'. Despite being raised by someone who was in her opinion a raving lunatic, she had to say...

 

She hoped to hell that Gekko took the company rather than his brother. He was idealistic true, but at least she could follow his line of thinking.

 

It was not the time to consider the details of company negotiations however, the woman reminded herself as she unconsciously rubbed her almost useless right arm, burnt skin unable to feel the touch for the moment. Rather, it was far more important to figure out how the hell she was supposed to navigate the castle she was in now. Seto held a steady glare as she walked through the halls, any other monsters she spotted passing her by without a second glance. One turn led one way, another turn led one way...

 

One would think it was designed specifically to confuse, rather than hold an entire army of AI programmed monsters. In fact it probably was, given that half the monsters she'd seen could simply walk through the walls. Didn't matter, she told herself as she pushed through a large door to enter into a courtyard of sorts, this was far cry from something that could stop her. The woman adjusted the helm she was wearing as she moved forward, passing through the enormous door to an even larger 'courtyard' that could likely double as a forest.

 

Seto looked up at the sky, thick black clouds swirling above in odd patterns as the occasional monster flew through the air. Strange, she thought with narrowed eyes, slowly walking down the courtyard path and looking up to study the sky. The way the clouds were moving she would almost say that she was the one moving through them, along with the ground she was on. As with the helicopter to Pegasus' isle the sky was turning against what made sense, appearing to curve against the axis of the planet itself. But this was a castle...

 

There had even been a lava pit inside the dungeons, there was no way that this place was hovering in the air, not with this much land. Then again she told herself as she moved through the courtyard, moving past the arch at the far end of the 'forest', this was a game. And in a game, she found herself recalling with wide eyes, barely catching herself on the edge of the wall as bits of ground crumbled beneath her feet, anything was possible.

 

Including the ground simply dropping off into nothingness.

 

Burnt fingers gripped the side of the wall as she caught herself from falling, wide eyes looking out at the large stone ring that hovered around the castle. Despite her general demeanour she couldn't stop herself from taking deep breaths, staring down to what had almost been her end. Down below, far down below, she could see nothing but endless scores of duel monsters, dragons, and demons alike, all soaring through the air. Monster upon monster, flying in the same direction and occasionally with a flightless one on their back. If she squinted she noticed, she could see past them. She could make out the small, coloured specs of ground that made up village roofs, rivers, mountains, plains, farmlands...

 

She could literally see an entire country from where she stood. Not something that was making her feel calm. Not at all she told herself with a swallow, pulling back from the crumbling courtyard edge. It was by far the last thing on her mind she decided as she stepped back, looking down at one of her 'options' of escape. If it could be called that she told herself, continuing backward until she was a safe distance away from the edge of the castle.

 

"Tch..." She looked through the arch, watching as a thick stone ring hovered a few hundred meters in front of the cliff's edge. The kanji 'yami' hovered in the ring, a clear sign of what she was standing on. 'The Castle of Dark Illusions'... How the hell did she end up with the luck to end up th-

 

Right.

 

The morons who designed the game.

 

Seto narrowed her eyes, attempting to lower her heart-rate as she calmed down. Computer or no. That sort of height was more than just a 'chill' after almost walking off a cliff. Far more than a chill, when she'd almost brought it on her self. Nonetheless...

 

The woman turned, biting her tongue in thought. She needed to find a way out of here. Get her deck back and leave this pl-

 

"G _ROOOAAAAAAAAOOOOO_!"

 

Seto's eyes widened, the woman turning with a jolt as a large white figure appeared in the air. The black clouds against it served as an easy way to keep an eye on the monster as she squinted, attempting to make out the details on the monster only to step back with wide eyes as she realized what the creature was. Enormous and leathery wings beat the air as the dragon closed in, Seto growing almost as pale as the monster's scales as the trees around it flattened against its power. With an echoing quake the dragon landed at all fours, the woman before it holding her arms up in a failed protection as it let loose another roar.

 

" _GRAAAAOOOOOOOO_!" The force of the air was more than enough to throw her off her feet, sending her flying by a number of meters before rolling to a stop.

 

"Guh..." She coughed, pulling her self up despite the cracked and broken bones the strike had caused. This monster... She turned, stumbling to her feet and watching as the monster walked over. "Blue-Eyes..."

 

The dragon reared, eyes glimmering with a light that was far from friendly as a second sound came over the air to accompany its low growl. This noise... A frown came over her face, light tones of a pipe coming over the air. Music. An eerie piping melody that hung through the air with a chilling tone. She gripped her urumi, watching as a smug one-eyed monster leered down from the top of the dragons head. It was well protected. Blue-Eyes' scales would be completely untouched by the blades in her hands, but that wasn't the point. She couldn't fight this monster...

 

As strong as she was, she knew damn well that the dragon was stronger.

 

Eyes narrowed dangerously as she stared up at the piper, the woman's hands shaking. "Gh... You bastards," she hissed, despite the knowledge that the target of her rage couldn't hear her. Blue-Eyes was already charging a blast of white flames, the woman unable to move from the spot for a moment as her own monster stared her down. Finally however with a loud roar she charged, jumping into the air and turning her blades on the piper. "You B- G _HN_!"

 

"G _RAAAAAOOOOOOOOO!_ " White flames cracked across the courtyard, cutting off the woman's shouts in an instant. From the jump she had made she was pushed back, urumi dropping from her hands as the robes she wore were set ablaze. There was nothing but white in her vision...

 

Nothing but cracking flames in her ears. Even as she fell to the ground unable to move, the only thing she felt was a burning pain that stung across any part of her that wasn't covered by the robes she wore. There was nothing but pure white fire. Surrounding her completely as the rest of the world faded out of existence. Taking her dragon...

 

Turning it against her...

 

How dare they, she told herself with a growl, managing to find the strength to reach out as the shadow of her dragon vanished from sight. How dare...

 

The last thing she saw as the light cleared from view, eyes closing over as her hand dropped to the ground, was a violet suit... Along with the Witty Phantom's grinning face as he spun his cap atop his fingers. The phantom...

 

But that was impossible...

 

She'd killed him, hadn't she?

 

* * *

 

It was probably to be expected that rather than horses pulling the carriages they were in, it was a series of birds. They needed birds to travel the desert, other people had been mentioned using birds... It was probably just something about this game in general really. They weren't Koke that were pulling them though. No... There was only _one_ weird-ass bird that came in purple and orange and had no wings, and that was 'Speak'. As to why it was called that, who the hell knew.

 

Personally, he was wondering why the hell the birds were pulling the carriages in the first place. They had a really... Really creepy stare to say the least.

 

Katsuya poked his head out the carriage window, watching as the exit to the cave disappeared behind them. Unlike the entrance on the other side, the 'temple' that was built around this one had fallen into ruin completely. There was nothing but weathered stone behind him, along with a large gaping 'hole' from the cave exit. And damn it, good riddance pretty much described his thoughts on that completely.

 

"Well," he muttered, slowly pulling back in for what the others felt to be the umpteenth time since they'd left. "No one weird seems t' be followin' us... Don' know how we'll be gettin' back if we need t' though..." Because he wasn't going in that cave again. He really wasn't.

 

Mai shook her head, sighing as Katsuya leaned back on his seat again. "You need to calm down," she said with a slight frown, crossing her arms. "I sincerely doubt that we're in any danger from these people, we just finished saving them after all..."

 

Beside her Yugi nodded, a small smile on his face. "That's right... Besides," he continued, looking from Mai to the others. "The queen seems rather polite... And," he added with an honest grin, "She also seems to be modelled with you in mind Mokuba, so I don't think think that we'll have any problems..."

 

Mokuba blinked, pointing at himself. "Er... You think she acts like me?" he asked, Katsuya shaking his head from beside the boy. "Somethin' tells me... No." He rubbed his head, laughing somewhat as he looked at the boy beside him. "Personally, I jus' wanna know what th' hell th' board was smokin' when they modelled a Queen off yah..."

 

The boy frowned, crossing his arms with a growl. "Gh- I don't want to know really..."

 

"It's not just the queen actually," Mai said from the side, leaning against the open carriage window in slight boredom as they traveled. "Though the resemblance is far more apparent in her case," she added with a slight hand wave, the boys turning with confused stares. "I'm fairly surprised you boys didn't notice," she said with a small, if not rather surprised smile. "I found it rather obvious once I spotted it..."

 

Katsuya frowned, leaning back on the carriage seat. "Eh... Spotted what?" he asked, the others listening in as well with slight frowns. "I didn' see anyone else w' look-alike faces..." He...

 

Didn't think he did at least. Sure as hell weren't any guards that looked familiar...

 

The woman shook her head, looking them over with a sigh. "Well, like I said," she began, turning to face them completely. "It's quite subtle! Unless you look carefully at the maid's face it's impossible to notice," she continued, the others staring with continued confusion.

 

There was a moment of silence, Mai giving a somewhat exasperated sigh before explaining.

 

"She's been modelled based off of Kaiba's body type," the woman went on as the others frowned, Mai rubbing her head slightly. "Whoever designed this game essentially took her height and weight and added a few cup-sizes... Of course," she added with a shrug, facing the boys with a slight frown. "Since Kaiba is currently pretending to be male, I'm almost certain that the resemblance is even further off than expected..."

 

"O-Of course it is!" Mokuba sputtered with a cough, going slightly red as he scowled. "Seto-neesama looks nothing like that character... She doesn't even _sound_ anything like that character!" Got that right...

 

Though at least it was just 'different' as opposed to sticking some middle school girl's voice there.

 

"Hnnn..." The others turned, watching as Yugi crossed his arms in thought and stared at the carriage ceiling. "Actually, now that I think about it..." He looked back down, blinking. "While the hair and eyes are obviously not the same, the facial features are almost identical... The Big 5 don't know the secret," he continued with a slight shrug, shaking his head somewhat, "With that in mind, it's only natural that Kaiba-san's voice would be off. Though... ...I wouldn't know either, myself," he added with a laugh, scratching the back of his head.

 

Well, unless Seto ever said anything outside the house in her actual voice (though the fact that she was even doing that regularly at home was surprising, according to Mokuba)...

 

Katsuya snorted, shaking his head as he stared out the window and watched a number of trees and village homes slowly pass them by. "Now tha's an understatement," he said with a long sigh, staring out the window a few moments longer before pulling back in. "I guess th' Board figured tha' if Seto-chan made it this far, an obvious character modelling would mean a death sentence..."

 

If everything else already didn't... "Oi!" Katsuya turned, tensing up as Mokuba scowled at him. "And the fact that the Queen has my face wouldn't get the same reaction?" Mokuba growled, the blond laughing nervously in response. Ehhh...

 

S-Shit, digging a hole... Um... What to say? The blond coughed, looking for something to change the subject with before the carriages abruptly came to a stop. Oh.

 

Hey! That was... That was handy... "A-Ahh... Hey!" he said with a nervous laugh, gesturing toward the window. "We're here!"

 

"It certainly looks like it," Mai said from behind him, before lightly pushing him out of the way to step out of the carriage. The woman stretched somewhat, looking around as she moved forward before staring with wide eyes. "Ahhhh... This place is huge!"

 

The boys followed after, stepping out of the carriage and looking up at the enormous castle with equally large eyes. "It... It's bigger than Pegasus' castle," Yugi muttered with wide eyes, the others nodding in silence. So big...

 

How the hell were they supposed to find anything... "Excuse me..." The four turned, boys staring as the maid from before walked over. The woman bowed slightly, face held most impassively. "I must again thank you for your efforts in protecting her highness," she stated, appearing only slightly miffed as the boys attempted to glean any resemblance between the woman and Seto from her face. She coughed somewhat, before gesturing to the side. "We have prepared a banquet for you in our dining hall," she stated calmly, "If you could follow me, I will lead you to the room while her highness freshens up..."

 

There was a span of silence, the woman adjusting her glasses as she fixed the boys with a look that said 'stop staring, now'. Needless to say they did just that, before nodding and following after the woman.

 

Mai frowned somewhat as they followed the maid in silence, cape fluttering behind her somewhat as they moved. "Hnnn... I would think that given the cave we just came out of we would be told to clean up as well," she muttered, eyes narrowed as they moved through the torch lit halls.

 

Katsuya shrugged, shaking his head and turning to the woman. "Eh... It's probably 'cause 'f th' clean up we all get at th' end of a fight," he said, looking back to the front as they came through another hallway. "Heh... I don' think I'd 've gotten within a foot 'f th' carriage otherwise," he said with a laugh, before shuddering with the reminder of the enormous worm that had swallowed him. That...

 

That was not something he wanted to think about right now he told himself as they walked through the castle. Not at all, he thought as they came to a large set of double doors. Hihhhh...

 

The maid ahead of them pushed the door in, standing to the side to reveal a large and expansive dining hall already prepared with an almost as large table of food. "After you," she said politely, the four walking in. "Please," the woman continued, moving to join the Queen at the far end of the table, "Take a seat."

 

They did so, Katsuya looking over the food as his stomach in question growled. "Aww man," he muttered, staring at the meal with a swallow. It smelled... Really good... "F'rgot how long it's been since we started all this..."

 

Mokuba frowned, shaking his head from beside the blond. "Katsuya-nii," he muttered as his friend started scarfing down the food without abandon, "No matter how much you eat you're only going to be just as hungry when you wake up..." The others turned, Mokuba continuing on regardless as Katsuya seemingly ignored him. "It's just a game, none of the food is actually real..."

 

"..E-Eh..?"

 

The four turned, both Meyari and her maid staring with wide and confused eyes for the moment as the others froze. Wait- They actually heard that? An awkward silence hung over for a moment before Mai coughed, slightly red in the face.

 

"Aha... It's nothing," she said with a quick laugh, waving the subject off as Katsuya returned to eating. "A long story, it's just an inside joke, alright?"

 

She turned as Katsuya started choking, eyes wide as the others looked toward him as well. "A-Ah- J-Jonouchi, are you-"

 

He continued to cough, slamming a fist into his chest before swallowing what was in his mouth to take a large and relieved breath. "Ha-Hahhh... 'M fine!” he said with a nod, leaning back and leaving the rest of the food as it was. Damn... Seto was right... "Jus'... Jus' fine... This food," he continued, pointing at the table somewhat weakly with a small laugh, "'S really great, y'outta try it..."

 

He'd just be sitting out himself, giving his throat a chance to relax really...

 

...Honestly, he was full anyways...

 

The others turned to their food, shrugging somewhat and slowly taking bites of their own meals. It was a bit of an awkward start, but the others were a little less prone to leaving it as such, thankfully. "Ah... Meyari-sama?" Yugi asked, turning to the Queen as they ate. Meyari in turn nodded politely, looking at the boy as he continued. "Earlier in the cave," he began, "You mentioned the 'chosen ones of prophecy'..." The table sounds fell short with those words, the meal postponed somewhat as the boy spoke on. "What did you mean by that?"

 

The queen blinked, before bowing her head. "I see," she said quietly, tone almost sorrowful as she spoke. "You heard Eri-san then..." Eri? At the mention of the name, the maid turned to face Meyari somewhat, Katsuya blinking in response. So... The maid was named 'Eri' then? Huh. Ok... "I will explain," Meyari said quietly, looking over the four at her table.

 

"For centuries," she began, "The people of Gorador, along with those of Gortas, to the west, have been forced to sacrifice one of their citizens to the Five-God Dragon, the ruler of the Black Castle to the north... Refusal," she continued with a swallow, fear more than evident in her voice, "Results in the destruction of both our lands, regardless of which people refuses action..." Katsuya swallowed, sitting up in his seat with wide eyes. Er...

 

Y-Yikes... That sounded like the typical video game stalemate he supposed. Except for the part where it wasn't either-or, really. That was a little extreme.

 

They stared, listening as the girl continued on. "The exchange has occurred for over 1000 years," she explained, gaze lowering to stare blankly at her plate. "From Gorador, a young maiden is always taken... From Gortas, a young warrior, sometimes native, sometimes not... However," Meyari said with wide eyes, turning to look at the side where an elaborate tapestry hung, "It is possible that despite all this, not all is lost! It was prophesied," she continued almost desperately, "Five hundred years ago by a travelling seer... ' _When five by five score years pass from this day, the Legendary Heroes will arise from the far west... And with the aid of the redeemed one, the demon of the north shall fall..._ '"

 

'The redeemed one'? And... How many years was 'five by five score', what did that even mean...

 

The four stared at the tapestry, the image of a praying and blindfolded woman at the bottom of the fabric. Probably the seer, Katsuya told himself, moving his gaze from the blond to the rest of the tapestry. From her hands came many rays of light, illuminating the image of what looked to be the same shining white 'bird' from the cavern archway. It fell, seemingly 'dead' from a large dark castle, mechanized head obscured by its wing. And behind the figure he noted, were five unidentifiable shadows...

 

Each of which looked oddly similar to those in the temple outside the cave. "Hold on," Mai asked, shaking her head as the others looked away from the tapestry. "You mean that you believe that... We are these 'legendary heroes'?"

 

Meyari nodded, turning to the four with wide and confident. "I do," she stated plainly, staring at them as the four blinked owlishly. "Just hours prior our encounter in the cave of the lost, we received news from Gortas that their sacrifice was sent... A young man from a distant land," she explained, Mokuba visibly perking up. "A warrior who was passing through... There is only one sacrifice left," the girl continued with a worried frown, "But perhaps with your help, not all is lost! Perhaps," Meyari added, "Perhaps, this year, no lives will need to be lost..."

 

Katsuya shook his head, laughing somewhat dryly as Mokuba muttered something about the 'warrior' almost certainly being his sister. "Man," he muttered, still shaking his head before looking to the others with a smirk. "How did I figure that this would happen," he 'asked', crossing his arms as the smirk grew. "Heh... Looks like we're right on Seto-chan's trail!" he continued with a grin. "All we gotta do is find this 'Five-God Dragon' and kick 's ass, and then it's all over!"

 

There was a slight wince from the Queen with those words, 'Eri' sending him an oddly familiar glare that silenced him fairly quickly. Across from him, Mai had a similar response, shaking her head with a sigh as she looked at the younger blond. "Don't assume that will absolutely finish things," she warned, frowning. "This game was programmed specifically to deter us, or at least Kaiba, from what you boys told me... And if that's the case," she continued, tone growing grave, "I wouldn't be surprised if there was a catch..."

 

More awkward silence filled the air as Katsuya coughed, turning away from the confused stares that Eri and Meyari were sending them. The others as well shifted rather awkwardly under the stares, having realized the again awkward situation they'd thrown themselves into. Er... Maybe they should just not talk about the 'game' for a while, the oddly well programmed NPC's were starting to look a bit edgy about things. And who knew what would happen if that went too far...

 

"Er..." Yugi scratched his head, before turning to the Queen in an attempt to change the subject. "Maybe we should just focus on the Five-God-Dragon for now," he said with a nervous cough before continuing. "Meyari-sama?" the boy asked, bowing his head somewhat. "You said that only one sacrifice was taken, right?" The others turned at this, somewhat curious gazes following Yugi's own as the Queen nodded. "If we act quickly," Yugi continued, "Then maybe, we can keep the second from being taken, while finding the location of the Black Castle!" The others brightened at this, looking over at Yugi for a moment before looking back to the Queen. "Do you know who the sacrifice is?" he asked, Eri abruptly paling and turning away with the words. Well. That look was never good...

 

There went his mood. Meyari swallowed, turning down before speaking. "That would be... Me," she said somewhat hesitantly, the maid behind her wincing as the others bit their lips. Oh... That was a little... Awkward... "In my absence," the girl said quietly, "Eri-san will reign over the kingdom, as she did during the time when I was too young to rule. And I believe she will do a fine job," the queen continued, a somewhat forced smile on her face as she looked toward the four. "I would much rather sacrifice myself than one of my people."

 

"Your highness," the maid protested somewhat quietly, eyes narrowed as she turned to the Queen. "This kingdom would do far better under the rule of the true royal family-"

 

"The decision has been made," Meyari said firmly, not looking back at the woman as she stood from her seat, moving back from the table with a sigh. "I will sacrifice myself for this kingdom, as others of this land have done before me. There has been too much pain Eri-san," she continued with a sad smile. "Far too much."

 

The others as well stood, swallowing nervously before Yugi spoke. "...Meyari-sama," he said with a small bow, the queen turning toward him. "We won't let you sacrifice yourself," the boy stated firmly, a slight frown on his face. "We'll protect you, by any means possible... And we'll stop this Five-God Dragon," he continued, the others nodding in agreement. It was a little weird, the feeling that was going into those words. Though they knew that these people didn't really exist, there was still the sense of responsibility, the sense that if they just stood by and 'let this happen', regardless of whether or not Seto would end up killed in the process, they would still feel an intense guilt over everything that happened. That despite the knowledge that said otherwise, these were 'real people'.

 

...Why the hell did these NPC's have to be programmed so well damn it! It was just too weird... After all they weren't real but...

 

Well...

 

Meyari looked over them, eyes wide before she steeled herself with a nod. "Thank you," she said quietly, before steadying her tone. "Thank you, all of you... Eri-san," she asked, the maid turning from where she stood as Meyari looked over to the woman. "Take these brave warriors to the armory and outfit them with the strongest robes of their size... If we are to fight," she continued with a strong tone, gaze hardened to the seemingly hereditary stare that Mokuba and Seto both had habits of displaying, "Then we must be prepared..."

 

* * *

 

_Drip... Drip... Drip..._

 

What was that sound?

 

_Drip... Drip..._

 

She felt wet... But it was too dry in the air for that... What was that sound?

 

_Drip... Drip..._

 

_...Drip..._

 

Seto breathed raggedly while sounds slowly but steadily re-entered her mind, a pressing and nigh unbearable heat making its way into her lungs. It was burning, each breath. The hottest of saunas couldn't compare to the dry feeling coming in and out of her throat. As dry as it felt inside however the sweat coating her body was worse, leaving her uncomfortably damp against the pressuring heat. And yet it wasn't this discomfort that was pulling her awake after the attack she'd sustained from her dragon.

 

Instead, it was the steady drip of sweat coming off her nose as her head hung down to rest on her chest that was slowly bringing the woman back into consciousness. A constant 'drip' marred just slightly as she moved her head with a small groan. Hot...

 

It was hot in here... So where...

 

Her eyes slowly opened, the intense red glow of the familiar stone dungeon meeting her eyes. Lava was bubbling below, to the point she could see the edge of the liquid along the far end of the wall, the bridge and exit held safely above the molten ground. "Damn," she muttered under her breath, the feeling of her body slowly returning to her with a vengeance. While her right arm was thankfully spared any pain thanks to already destroyed nerves her right shoulder and side was not spared the feeling in any way. On her left arm...

 

The woman bit her tongue, coughing as she took in dry and heaving breaths. The deck holder was gone.

 

Completely gone.

 

Even so she forced herself to ignore it as she hung from the same stone cross she had been tied to before. It wasn't the time to think of that. It wasn't the time...

 

This place... She was back in the dungeon.

 

"I see you've woken up," muttered an eerily familiar voice, Seto's only response being to frown as she looked up from her position weakly. That sound. The woman attempted a growl as she levelled a weakened glare forward, the voice echoing around the room. That was...

 

From nothing but shadows the demon appeared, slowly fading into existence as the he walked forward on the bridge. He leered smugly as he stopped a few meters away, pulling white gloves over his hands before adjusting the cap on his head with a small chuckle. "Did you enjoy your little run?" he asked, eyes narrowed as the woman swallowed. "You certainly provided a minor distraction for us... Running through the castle as you did..." Nothing but a distraction was she? Tch...

 

"..." A dry throat served little use for speaking. Attempting to moisten it was pointless however, as her entire mouth was just as barren. She managed to speak nonetheless though, despite the weakness now striking her body as it hung from the rock. "Gh... Phantom," she muttered, taking a ragged breath and looking forward with narrowed eyes. How, she thought darkly, looking at the demon with rage. How, how, _HOW_! "How are you alive?" she managed to force out, eyes narrowed in the closest thing to rage that she could physically muster in the face of the monster.

 

The demon merely held his sneer, looking at the woman from across the room. "'Monster Reborn' you little bitch..." Oh that one was new... "You should be glad _you're_ still living," he hissed, staring the woman down from where he stood a safe distance away. "A direct strike from your precious Blue-Eyes would be enough to burn through the strongest of diamonds," he spat almost bitterly, "And yet you managed to escape with barely a scratch, the only 'damage' being the robes you stole from one of my servants..." The monster shook his head, clicking his tongue almost mockingly. "One could almost say it was actually holding back," he said with a grim sneer, Seto slowly raising her head back up to send an iron glare to the monster. "Out of some sort of cruel mercy for you..." Bastard...

 

She pulled at the chains, ignoring the burning pain in her shoulder as she leaned forward. "Release me," she spat, pulling violently at the chains that held her in place on the rock as the demon across from her watched in silence. "And you'll find out just how lucky you are to be alive right now..."

 

He merely chuckled, a wicked grin on his face as he bowed mockingly before the woman. "I don't think I will," he said with a sneer, pulling up from the bow and turning away. "You see 'Seto-sama', as we speak we are retrieving our second sacrifice... And in just a few moments," he said with a wicked and feral grin, "Your wonderfully powerful dragon will bring it right to us like a loyal dog, heralding your end..." Compare her dragon to trash would they!

 

The woman snarled, pulling at the chains with renewed strength as her eyes widened. "Gh... Don't you dare," she spat, the demon merely chuckling as he began to vanish from sight. "Don't even think of using my dragon for your own ends, you piece of shit!"

 

"'Piece of shit'?" the demon repeated with a chuckle, slowly fading out of existence from the feet up. "Really dear 'Seto-sama', you can do far better than that... Tsk tsk tsk..." He shook his head, grabbing his hat in one hand as he continued to fade away. "Enjoy your last few minutes of life," he said darkly, his voice echoing about the room as he finally vanished completely. "It's all you'll have..."

 

"Gh... Get back here!" she roared, pulling fruitlessly on the chains as she was left alone, un-charred wrist growing red against the pressure. "GET BACK HERE!"

 

* * *

 

"Hwaaaaa..."

 

It had probably only been about half an hour since the end of 'dinner', but already the armor had been doled out and for the most part pulled on for a readied battle.

 

"I'm beginning to really get a feel for this game," Mai said with a stretch, walking out from behind the change curtain with a large smile. She straightened out the black and white robes she wore, leaning slightly on the large staff she now held in her hands. "It's nice to get out of form fitting clothing once in a while," she added, stretching again as Yugi swallowed and stared at the seemingly 'out of character' armor Mai was now wearing. The woman cracked her knuckles, looking down at where the boy was sitting on the side with a smile. "You don't look so bad yourself," she added, the boy nodding somewhat nervously as he looked himself over in question. "Very ' _steam punk_ '," she continued with a wink. "I like it!"

 

"A-Ahh... Thanks... I..." The boy coughed, fingering the large three-bladed boomerang in his hands. It was all fairly interesting how the armor had been handed out. Whereas Mai's outfit had apparently done a full one-eighty from tight and revealing one-piece to open and flowing robes mostly reminiscent of traditional miko priestesses, Yugi's armor had more or less gone under an 'upgrade' rather than a full change. His headband for one had been replaced by a set of leather bound goggles, formerly cloth armor now mostly made up of similarly faded leather and denim cloth. Like Mai, his weapon had been switched out as well; though while Mai's at least appeared to have whip-like attachments on the end, he wasn't completely sure how his 'archer/ranger' had ended up with a giant, folding, three-bladed shuriken of sorts.

 

An odd silence came over the air, the boy coughing as he attempted to think of something to say. These clothes felt a little weird. It was part of the game sure, but...

 

"You look good as well," he finally said with another nod, still somewhat red in the face. "I.." He shook his head, laughing nervously. "I've never seen you wear something other than... Erm..."

 

The woman laughed as her friend fumbled over a 'polite' way of stating the mostly obvious, shaking her head. "Ahhhh... I see... It's fine if you stare," she said with a smile, taking a seat beside the boy and putting her staff from the side. "I got the same reaction from Anzu-chan... I answered the door in a sweater and jeans," the woman stated casually, "She had the same shell-shocked expression for about two minutes before she realized I was asking her to come in side! Ahahahaha!" Mai shook her head, still laughing while turning to the boy.

 

Yugi in question was merely nodding at the words, slightly redder in the face than prior despite the considerable covering on the woman beside him. "Right..." He coughed, placing the boomerang in the sheath on his back and turning away somewhat. "I guess... I'm just a little nervous I guess," he said with a slight laugh, attempting to change the subject. "Actually... About the fight..." Another cough, and the boy shook his head before frowning. "...Mai-san?" he asked, turning to the woman before being cut off.

 

Mai shook her head, still smiling despite her friend's confusion. "There's no need for formalities," she said somewhat dismissively, still laughing somewhat as she leaned against the wall. "Just 'Mai' is fine, it isn't as though we've only met you know..."

 

There was a small pause, before he nodded again. "R-Right... Alright then Mai-s... Mai," he corrected with a slight cough, turning away a moment before looking back with somewhat renewed confidence. "...I wanted to ask... Why are you helping us?" The woman blinked, turning with somewhat wide eyes as Yugi continued. "I mean... This has nothing to do with you, and you don't even know Kaiba-san that well," he said quietly. "Yet you're helping us, even though you could probably die..."

 

She stared, smile softening as she stood up and grabbed her staff. "Why am I helping?" she repeated, shaking her head before winking. "Because we're friends, aren't we? It's been a long time since there was someone I could honestly say that to," she continued, closing her eyes with a sad smile. "A very long time," she repeated quietly, before looking back at Yugi. "To have someone I want to fight beside is a nice change- so you shouldn't expect me to back down, right?"

 

The boy blinked, before nodding with a small smile as Mai held a hand out to help him off his seat. "Haha... Right," he said with a smile, adjusting the clothes he was wearing before looking back at the room. "So... How do you think the others are d-"

 

"O-Oiii," a familiar voice shouted from the other side of the curtain, rustling coming from behind it. "Y-you can't be serious..." The two turned, listening as Katsuya and Eri's voices came from the other side of the room at rising volume. "There's no way I'm wearin' that!"

 

The curtain was pulled back, a mostly un-armed, if at the very least shirtless Katsuya edging away from Eri as the maid scowled rather angrily. "This is the armor of our very strongest warriors," she insisted with a growl, storming over and going so far as to attempt to pull what looked to be a furred tunic over the blond's head. The blond of course resisted completely, pulling it in the opposite direction as he stumbled backwards. "Now please either put this on or hold still so I can do so for you!"

 

The blond tensed at those words as he escaped the 'tunic', clambering backwards and away as he tripped back over a trunk. "Ack!" He pulled himself up as the maid continued to storm over, the blond shaking his head with wide eyes as he continued his attempts at escape. "Hi-Hihhh! No way!" he shouted in a panic, a number of helmet and armor stands tumbling over as he was continually chased around the room by a still walking maid. "I ain't wearin' that cave-suit! I don' care how strong it is, I've got limits!"

 

Eri appeared to visibly bristle with anger, hair standing on end as the woman continued her 'attack'. "Now listen carefully," the woman stated lowly, Mai and Yugi sharing raised eyebrows as they watched on with mild confusion. "I was given specific orders to make sure that each of you were armed with our best sets of armor and weaponry!" she growled, finally succeeding in grabbing the blond by the arm and pinning him to the ground. She pulled the teen's arm somewhat painfully behind his back, ignoring the small shout of pain as she held the 'tunic' in her other hand. "And I will not go against those orders!"

 

"Gh-" Katsuya attempted to worm his way out, eyes wide as the others continued to watch. He did not like this position, he did not like this position at allllll... "G-Get off me!"

 

The light sent an odd glare across the maid's glasses, the woman grinning almost wickedly as she moved forward with the tunic. " _Not until you are fully armed_!"

 

HAHHHHHH shit! "That thing is worse than a toga, I ain't doin' it! Nyh _hhhaaaa_!"

 

"Ahh..." There was a cough, the two freezing as footsteps came into the room. "Eri-san?"

 

The two turned, Mai and Yugi following their gaze as Mokuba and Meyari both walked out from where they were still getting changed. For all appearances, the only thing that told the two apart was Mokuba's mostly skin-tight 'ninja' garb and Meyari's plain white under-dress. Otherwise, both the Queen and Mokuba had their hair tied back in a pony-tail, the only other defining detail between them being the slight curve the Queen's body held.

 

Meyari walked over, hair partially pinned up against her head as she handed a pile of dull coloured clothing toward the maid. "I believe that he should perhaps wear these as well..."

 

The maid stood up, Katsuya doing the same and brushing himself off before taking the clothing from the Queen. He held up the shirt in question, blinking as the sleeves fell to the side of it. "Eh..." He put it back in the pile, looking at the furred tunic the maid still held before turning back to Meyari. "Y' mean that fur thing goes on top 'f this?"

 

There was a calm nod, both Meyari and Mokuba giving somewhat amused smiles as the room fell silent. Eri abruptly flushed pale with the knowledge, coughing awkwardly before giving a steep bow. "Oh my... I... You must forgive me," she muttered, pulling up and going rather red while Katsuya stepped back with a surprised blink. "I had not realized that the armor came with those particular pieces of clothing... I was under the impression that it was a 'stand-alone'..."

 

"It's fine," Meyari said with a small smile, shaking her head as the maid continued to flush. "Now," the girl continued, bringing her hands back in front of her. "I need to finish putting on the sacrificial robes," she said rather calmly, turning to the side to look at the boy beside her. "Mokuba-sama," she asked, the boy jumping slightly at the form of address from what was 'royalty', "Could you perhaps help me..?"

 

The boy blinked, before nodding with a small smile. "Eh... Sure," he said with a nod, an odd expression on his face as he looked toward the others. "Katsuya-nii," he said with a grin, the blond in question looking over. "I'll see you in a bit, alright?"

 

The blond nodded, grabbing the rest of the armor he'd been handed before smiling. "Right," he said, before moving toward the 'change room' Mai had used and pulling the curtain back. "I'll be right out," he muttered to them, pulling the cover shut behind him and dumping the pile in his arms on a box to the side.

 

Alright, he told himself as he pulled off the rest of his original armor. Lets see what he got...

 

He held up the buckskin clothes he'd been given, shrugging before pulling on the pants. They were fairly comfortable to say the least. Well, he supposed, the shirt following after as he gave another shrug. He supposed that now that he was wearing something underneath that weird-ass 'tunic' he felt better about all this. He pulled the shoes it came with onto his feet, before staring at the gauntlets and greaves that replaced his last ones for a brief moment. Kind of interesting how similar they were...

 

Like the other ones they were clawed, making them resemble (in a somewhat horrifying way) skinned bears arms and legs- Though he had a feeling he could probably get away with kicking a monster in the face to get rid of it with the size of the claws on these ones. He tied the greaves in place around his legs, shaking his head as the claws extended a few inches past the simple moccasin-like shoes he had on. Holy shit... Good luck standing on his toes? He shook his head, pulling the armor over his clothes before grabbing the last few pieces. The sheath for his weapon was pulled over his shoulder and tied securely in place, the 'tunic' following shortly after. Making sure that the belt was tied tightly around his waist, he grabbed the last piece to put on his head before looking himself over in a glass mirror at the side.

 

"Huh..." He nodded somewhat, before smirking. "I don' look too bad," he said with a grin, adjusting the large bone helm he wore before grabbing the also bone axe from the side to put in its sheath. Huh... Not bad at all. This looked pretty cool actually...

 

Katsuya walked out from the curtain, watching as Mai gave an approving nod. "Ahhh... Nice," she said with a smile, Yugi as well nodding in agreement as they stood. "Now we just need to wait for Mokuba and Meyari-sama and we'll be ready for anything," she continued, looking toward the other room in question. That was right, they were both getting robed for this right? Though if Mokuba was suddenly a ninja he didn't see why there would be anything else to his own clothes...

 

Not a moment after that thought however, the two walked out, Meyari presumably being the one wrapped completely in white robes while Mokuba himself appeared to be covered head to toe in almost samurai-esque armor. Looked like he was wrong, Katsuya told himself as the boy came forward and flexed his fingers to test the armor.

 

Very wrong. Hell, with all that covered the two, there was only their eyes visible... A skin-tight mask on the 'ninja', and a large cloak and scarf for the Queen. And while the sheer wide expressiveness of Mokuba's eyes had to throw him off for a moment, Katsuya had to grin.

 

Looking good! "Heh... Man!" he said with a laugh, the two looking up at him in silence as the blond grinned. "If I didn' know any better, I'd say you two could've switched places on us! This' insane!" The two laughed somewhat, the sounds muffled by the cloth veil and mask that one or the other wore. Briefly, he thought he saw the two glance nervously at the other... But that had to be his imagination right?

 

Katsuya moved to say something else, only to tense as he was cut off by a loud thunder clap from outside. Turning to the windows in shocked silence the sounds of rain quickly met their ears, Eri coming out from the side room to stare out the window with wide eyes as what was once a calm sky began spitting out rain and hailstones. "What was that?" Mai muttered under her breath, looking through the window as the skies went completely black. Thick sheets of rain covered the lands outside, the stone already dyed a dark grey under the layer of water. "It was clear just moments ago," she continued to mutter, "How could it be raining..."

 

"They're here," Eri hissed, eyes wide before she turned to the Queen with renewed professionalism. "Meyari-sama," she said with a stern gaze, holding her hands out before her. "For your own sake... Please, stay here, understand?" There was no answer, Meyari merely nodding somewhat through the thick white robes before the maid turned to the others. "The monsters of the Black Castle have come for their sacrifice," Eri explained stiffly, grabbing one of the torches from the wall. "Please... Follow me," she continued, rushing through the door with the others behind them at those words.

 

It was not far to the battlements from the room they had stood in; merely turning down the hall took them to a door that led outside, both the 'heroes' and the Queen running on to the wet stone behind the maid as the sky took an even darker turn. Rain already pounded the ground from the skies below, the fields in the distance slowly beginning to flood beneath the pressure. Yet for all the rain did as their clothes were instantly soaked through, Meyari and Mokuba both remaining inside the doorway, that was by far the least of their concern. Their problems were a little more...

 

Fatal... Than the rain could be he decided, numerous screeches filling the air as dark 'blots' on the sky developed into monsters. Far more fatal. "Gh... Don't summon anything," Yugi warned, pulling his boomerang as the monsters slowly moved closer from where they came in. From where they were now they couldn't see any more detail than the colour of their bodies. But it was more than likely that those details would clear soon enough. "We don't know what kinds of monsters will be attacking, it's too much of a risk... There's too many," he continued, gripping his boomerang tightly. Perhaps that was why he had the boomerang rather than the arrows? The blades sure as hell looked like they'd take out a monster faster than the arrows would...

 

The others merely nodded with the warning, Mai gripping her staff as Katsuya twirled his long-handled axe with narrowed eyes. The battle was beginning. Behind them Mokuba as well drew his weapons, holding a pair of wakizashi as he stood protectively in front of the Queen. The monsters moved closer...

 

They could now make out the first wave in full, spotting dragons, demons, spellcasters... "I'll hold th' fort here," Katsuya shouted to the other two, both Yugi and Mai nodding in response. The blond took a prepared stance, drawing a card and allowing it to disappear into his 'hand' in silence. Time Wizard... A good card. But even with his general luck he didn't want to risk it. This was a game right? A program right? So if they'd done something to rig his chances...

 

He swallowed, steeling his gaze and replacing his grip on the axe. No matter...

 

"You two c'n handle long range a lot better than I can..." A lot better...

 

"Right," Mai said, twirling her staff and looking forward as a large eye-ball like creature swooped in. In a single instant the monster was dissolved, six razor sharp, bladed chords piercing through it as the woman swung her staff toward it with the flick of her wrist. "We're counting on you then," she continued, running forward along the wall of the battlement to continue attacking the coming monsters. "Good luck Jonouchi!" she shouted, looking back before slicing through a number of beasts in one go.

 

Yugi as well charged forward, pulling out the boomerang from his sheath and tossing it forward for it to cut through numerous creatures before they even gained the chance to reach them. Watching as the weapon spun through the air he pulled a card from his deck, glancing at the name before looking back at Katsuya with a small nod and smile. He had something.

 

Turning back to catch his weapon as it returned, Yugi held the card high as the swarm of monsters began to close in. Already Katsuya had been forced to turn his axe to the air, cutting through a few approaching monsters with his new weapon. Looking forward in a moment of rest he had he had to stare in relief. He could see the card from here. This was-

 

"BLACK H - _Ach_!" He grabbed his hand, hissing as a blade sliced past his fingers to pin the card he had prepared to summon to the ground. Blood seeped from the wound as Yugi looked the hand over, before pulling it back with a wince and watching as his spell card vanished into the air. "Gh... Who..."

 

"Yugi!" Mai shouted, turning from where she was attempting to deal with a large and oversized eagle type monster. The 'Sonic Bird' screeched with rage, attempting to bite through the whips that were now embedded in its wings before moving to try his hand at returning the favor with his talons. Mai quickly ducked under the strike, turning her head back to Yugi yet again as she shouted. "Watch for the Armed Ninja!" she continued, pulling her whips taut as the bird she was fighting became little more than tattered ribbons. "He's heading your way!" Gh-

 

The armed ninja? Katsuya paled, looking back to Mokuba and Meyari before scanning the building around them. Nothing. There were no monsters coming through the area. He couldn't see anything...

 

'Armed Ninja'. That was the thing that took Seto wasn't it? "Gh-" The sound of footsteps came through the air, Katsuya running over to where the two kids stood with wide eyes. "Mokuba! Meyari!" A blur of black jumped across the field, Mokuba turning around only to find Meyari already gone as the ninja stole away with its prize in his arms. In a single motion the ninja pulled himself to the roof of the battlements, running across the stone as the others stared with narrowed eyes. "Tch... Like hell!" he growled, running down the battlements on the ninja's tail. A series of boxes stood at the side... Katsuya charged up the pile, flipping himself up to the roof as the ninja headed toward a tower across the way. "Haaaaahhhh!"

 

One step, two step... The blond hopped off the wall of the battlements, pulling himself up the tower roof and shifting his grip on the axe to the bottom of the handle. In a single swift motion the blade was swung forward, axe coming toward the Ninja in a wide arc before an echoing thud was heard over the pounding rain. "Take that!" he shouted, the ninja collapsing to the ground in a bleeding twitching mess as his head toppled to the side. Now then. ...Er...

 

Wait, who was holding the Que-

 

Katsuya jumped forward as Meyari began to fall, reaching out to grab the girl with his free arm as he fell to his stomach at the edge of the roof. Shit! He dug his axe into the side of the roof, extending his reach in an attempt to grab the Queen's hand. Shit, he wasn't going to-

 

"Jonouchi-kun!" Yugi shouted, Katsuya blinking and looking forward at the shout. "Look out!" The blond looked up, hurriedly pulling back onto the roof as his axe came free, a blast of white hot fires burning the ground where he stood moments before. Shimmering white scales almost seemed to glow under the pounding rain, Katsuya stepping back as the dragon stood before him. Times like this he realized how much of a 'break' this was from actual duels- Even his clay dragon topped this one.

 

That said the monster was huge, and as it stared him down, the blond had to swallow. "B-Blue-Eyes?" he half asked, watching the dragon soar upward with a grinning piper sitting tall on the beast's head. The piper played a steady, dark series of notes on the flute, 'second mouth' grinning wide as it stared the blond down. The piper was missing an arm Katsuya noticed, narrowing his eyes as he looked at the 'stump'. How did that-

 

He froze, slowly adjusting his grip on his axe as he spotted the dragon's second cargo. "Gh-" There, tied firmly to the base of the dragon's leg... "Shit!" Sitting rather confidently on the bottom of Blue-Eyes hind leg a small white-robed witch sat, chuckling darkly as it tied a final knot in the net rope he held. The queen lay motionless in the net as it dangled below, their ride rising into the air as Katsuya charged at it only to be met with another blast of wife flames. The blond threw his arm up as he was tossed back, skidding across the ground as the flames melted through the stone. He pulled himself up, watching the dragon fly further out of range with wide eyes.

 

S-Shit! Shocked and angered shouts filled the air. The monsters began to clear the skies, swarming Blue-Eyes in order to take the damage from the various weapons being thrown forward. For all that Mai's whips did however, Yugi's boomerang cleaving through monster after monster, the result was still the same. Within moments, all moves to attack were made pointless...

 

And for all the lifepoints they'd gathered in the onslaught, the result was still the same. The seemingly controlled Blue-Eyes was long gone, the storm clouds and rain slowly following behind it.

 

Along with their only hint at Seto's location and the location of the 'Five-God Dragon'.

 

"Damn it," he muttered, gritting his teeth as his fists clenched. "Aaaagh!" He slammed his axe into the roof he was on, kicking the side of the tower with a rage filled shout. "Fuck!"

 

"Well," Mai said with a somewhat exasperated sigh, the blond turning as he ripped the blade from the ground. "Don't hide your feelings now..." Gh...

 

Damn it! He jumped back to the ground, walking toward the others. Not good... Not-

 

"Oh no..." The blond frowned, turning toward 'Mokuba' as a somewhat familiar voice came over the field. "Oh no no no no no..." Yugi and Mai also froze, tensing as they turned around to where 'Mokuba' had fallen to 'his' knees. W-Wait...

 

They walked over, shocked into silence as their friend held 'his' hands to his mouth and shook. That wasn't Mokuba's voice. That was...

 

The figure pulled the helmet off their head, tears running down the girl's face as she pulled down the mask.

 

That was the Queen. Oh hell.

 

"Mokuba... They took..." She swallowed, attempting to calm herself down as she continued to shake. "Oh this is all my fault..." They continued stare, eyes wide as the girl trembled.

 

"M-Meyari-sama?" Yugi asked, swallowing as the girl slowly looked toward them. "But..."

 

"You two... Y' actually switched places," Katsuya said quietly, eyes wide as he shook his head. "But why... Why would y' do that..." The girl bit her lip, shaking her head as she wiped her eyes. "There were two sets of armor," she finally said, taking deep breaths as the others listened. "Mokuba... He begged me to switch places with him," she explained quietly, "Telling me that if he were to go in my place, he could reach his brother and attack from the inside... I... I can only hope that the Five-God Dragon doesn't strike," she finally said with a shudder, staring at the slowly drying ground for a few moments as the rain stopped completely. "When it realizes that it only has one of the required sacrifices..."

 

There was an awkward silence, the three remaining 'warriors' sharing a glance. Er... It was supposed to be one male one female right? ...Yeah... Uh... About that...

 

"A-Actually," Katsuya said, biting his lip as he attempted to justify what he was about to say, "There's a bit 'f a problem w' that..." The Queen turned, frowning as the blond continued. Well... Not like anything they were saying had made it through the computer right? So... What did it matter if he said this to an NPC? ...Right? ...Right. "Th' sacrifice th' other country got... Th' 'warrior' from another land," he continued, coughing as he rubbed the back of his neck. "'S not a guy," he said somewhat bluntly, the Queen tilting her head.

 

"Not... He isn't a man?" she asked, frowning as she came to her feet. "But that can't be... We were told that..."

 

Mai as well took in a long breath, a hand on her face as she answered to the statement. "Mokuba's older sister crossdresses," she said fairly plainly, Yugi looking somewhat put off by the sudden revealing of secrets to an apparent stranger. "With Mokuba joining along side her," the woman continued, "That makes one male and one female sacrifice..."

 

The queen grew pale, growing stiff with realization and looking over the three with wide eyes. "You mean... They're both going to..."

 

Yugi shook his head immediately, frowning. "No! We won't let them die," he insisted, the others nodding as well. Like hell either of the siblings were dying on their watch! "Meyari-sama," he asked, bowing his head somewhat. "We need to know... If there's any way at all for us to get to that castle." Any way, any way at all?

 

The Queen bit her lip, shaking her head. Damn it, there went that-

 

"There is one." The group turned, watching as the Queen's maid stepped forward with a large book in her arms. The woman flipped the book open to a page near the centre, looking over it briefly before turning to the others. "A tale from many years ago, supported by the seer's prophecy... One thousand years ago," she explained, "When this land was still young, an immense and magnificent beast of white escaped from the confines of the Black Castle, falling to this land. However," she continued, holding the open book for the others to look at the image, "It was not alone."

 

The four looked at the page, examining the image of a broken and 'bleeding 'dragon-bird' gracing its pages. "It was attacked, viciously, and though it emerged from its airborne battle victorious," the maid added, Katsuya momentarily paying more attention to the question of what the 'thing' was, "It was unable to fight any more. It hid itself in these lands," she continued, looking off to the side of the battlements as she closed the book over. "Burying itself beneath the earth until needed again..."

 

The others stared, following her gaze to the side before Mai spoke. "So somewhere in this country," she began somewhat hesitantly, still gripping her staff tightly in one hand as the free one rested on her hip, "There's a monster who can take us to the castle?" Now hey, that was convenient.

 

Eri nodded, face held mostly impassively. "That is correct," she stated, pulling the book under her arm before adjusting her glasses. "But we have very little time," she continued, frowning somewhat. "I have searched hard... But though I have an idea of where the beast lies, I cannot say how to revive it from its thousand year slumber!"

 

...That part, not so convenient. Damn it. Then again... She knew where it was?

 

Katsuya blinked, the skies above clearing completely while he stepped forward. "Well... It's still an' idea right?" he asked with a slight shrug, scratching his head. "So where is it?"

 

"Ah..." The maid swallowed, before turning to the side and looking at the edge of the battlements. "Follow me," she stated, moving over to the wall as she held the book tight. "While researching the 'beast', I noticed a series of patterns on the grounds outside the castle..." She gestured off the side, where a large and faded outline of sorts could be seen along the ground. "I believe this may be the final resting place of the 'beast'." They looked over, staring at what seemed to be an enormous white 'outline' of a bird-like creature.

 

"Oh..." Mai stared, eyes wide as they looked over the outline. It sure looked like a giant bird... Dragon... Thing. Seriously, what was it... "Those look like the markings from the Nasca desert..." The boys blinked, turning to the woman with raised eyebrows.

 

"Er... Nasca?" Katsuya repeated, blinking. What?

 

She nodded, turning to them with a somewhat blank expression. "They're a large number of ancient geoglyphs in Peru," she explained, looking back at the bird. "My step-father used to tell me about those sorts of things when I was younger, as his work takes him rather far around the globe... These were one of those things," she added rather nonchalantly. Step-dad eh...

 

What was with everyone's relatives and travelling the world? Anzu's parents were in the states, Yugi's dad was always out of the country for business...

 

Mai continued to lean over the wall, looking at the 'bird' in the design before smirking. "Nonetheless... I think I know exactly how to get that 'beast' out from the ground," she said with a wink, turning to the blond beside her. "Wouldn't you say, Jonouchi..?"

 

"E-Eh..?" Katsuya stared, turning away from the wall with a start. Hang on... "What?"

 

Yugi blinked as well, frowning somewhat before a look of realization came over his face and he nodded. "A-Ahh... That's right!" he said with a grin, looking from Mai to Katsuya. "There's that card..!" 'That card'? What card?

 

"What th' hell are y' talkin' about?"

 

"Eri?" Mai said with a smile, turning to the maid and ignoring the younger blond. "Could you maybe show us how to get to that geoglyph?"

 

The maid nodded, muttering a 'follow me' as Katsuya continued to look over his friends. "O-Oi," he protested, putting his axe in its sheath. "Seriously, what's going on?"

 

"We'll explain when we get there," Mai said with a grin, Yugi following behind the woman as she grabbed Katsuya's wrists to pull him off. "For now, let's just move alright?"

 

What! He yelped slightly, stumbling along as he was pulled down a series of steps. "E-Eh?" S-Seriously... What the hell did he have that would un-earth a giant monster bird! "C'mon!" he growled, still tripping over his feet as they were pulled down to the outside of the castle. "Tell me what's goin on!"

 

"It's your card!" Yugi shouted as they ran, Katsuya turning back somewhat to look at the boy.

 

"My card?" he repeated with raised eyebrows, his friend nodding in response.

 

"The time wizard," the boy stated with wide eyes, still grinning. "Your card can turn back time to when the 'beast' was above ground, a thousand years ago!" Oh. Right. Time Wizard did thousand year jumps.

 

Wait...

 

That worked in reverse?

 


	6. Synthetic Seraph

 

The ground outside the castle was, despite the heavy wash from the rain, considerably dry by the time they were walking out on it. Flat and expansive it spread about the back side of the castle before dropping off at a cliff far to the end. The ground was actually crusted under their feet, audible crunching coming through the air as the walked, and in a few moments after passing the few trees around the plain they could see for what felt like miles. There was nothing but an enormous stretch of soil and as they stood at the edge of it, the Queen behind them took their attention by simply halting her.

 

"This is as far as I go," Meyari said somewhat sadly, bowing her head as the others turned to look at her. "Eri-san will guide you to the marker," the girl continued, gesturing to the maid as she stepped forward with a bow. "But I must stay here." Er...

 

Why? Katsuya stared, frowning somewhat before pushing the thought back. Why was the maid allowed to come while everyone else had to stay? Perhaps it was nothing to ask about. Probably something programmed or... Something. Hell, things always seemed to work out like that in video games.

 

The maid nodded at her employer's request, walking ahead of the others before turning to the Queen briefly. "...Good bye, your majesty," she said somewhat morosely, the others merely listening in slight confusion. "...I hope to serve you well," she added, before turning back to guide the group forward. The queen nodded, smiling somewhat as they left.

 

"Indeed," she said quietly, a mist appearing to coat them after they were out of sight. "Indeed..."

 

With those words in the back of their minds the group walked off, moving toward the edge of where the 'head' of the bird was located. Ruins of age old temples and homes littered the sides, crumbled stone long since mixed in with the dirt ground. Approaching the white faded outline on the ground, Eri turned to them to adjust her glasses, face held somewhat blank. "...This is it," she said calmly, standing at the head of the outline. "Whatever it is you hope to do," she began, light obscuring any view of the woman's glasses as she turned to them, "I hope that it works."

 

Yugi nodded, Katsuya merely holding out his hand. Time Wizard. Lucky how he'd pulled that card in the last battle, he told himself. Ok... How did this hand-menu thing work out of battle he wondered, did he just think of the card and-

 

The card materialized in his hands from the bottom up, and as he gripped it in his hand he blinked. Oh. Uh... That worked. He looked over the card, handing it to Yugi with a nervous laugh. "Ehhh... I think you outta do this," he said with a shrug, coughing somewhat. "Since I can't act'lly play any spell cards..." Which kinda sucked really, but hey, whatever.

 

The boy blinked, taking the card with a steady nod. "Right..." He looked toward the large birdlike outline, swallowing before he held the card out while Eri stepped back behind them. "Here goes... _TIME WIZARD_!" The card glowed brilliantly, slowly fading from Yugi's hand in a stream of dust. The sparks flew upward, vanishing into the sky as the four looked upward and watched it disappear completely. The wizard of the card however did not appear much to their surprise. Instead the clouds began to darken into odd and almost red wisps, slowly curving into a spiral above the ground as the sky around it darkened as well. Closer and closer the clouds came, spinning about as their edges met in the centre to funnel toward the ground in a twister.

 

The spinning increased.

 

Faster... Faster...

 

Rumbling filled the air, the others looking around as a wall of light appeared to build around them amid the darkened sky. From the ground old ruins began to repair, dust flying from the ground and swirling to reform buildings of old while wind whipped past their faces. Pillars that once had been reduced to complete stumps stood proud and tall, roofs that held no sign of existing shadowed them completely. It was a courtyard that they stood in, from what he could tell in a few moments. An immense field surrounded by temples and shops of varying sizes, the one directly behind them forming into a building comparable to an elaborate palace, a fact that he knew even without turning around for some reason. And finally...

 

It stopped. Silence filled the air as the skies cleared, the geoglyph on the ground fully repaired in a single outline of white. The clouds vanished from the sky, allowing a blinding hot sun to burn down on the now fully restored city of a thousand years prior.

 

But there was nothing else. "...That's it?" Katsuya finally said, looking around with a frown. Just buildings and a giant bird outline. Clear skies, somewhat more fertile ground... He took a few steps forward, frowning as a light breeze passed them by. "That's... That's all..?" That was all that happened? But it couldn't...

 

Yugi stared, taking a step forward and looking around as the wind slowly blew across the field. "I guess... We're too late," he said as he paled, shaking his head in disbelief. Mai as well frowned, mostly silent beside the two as she walked forward to look over the silent and empty plain. "...Eri-san," the boy asked, turning around with a swallow. "Is there any other way you can-"

 

The boy fell quiet, staring as even the sound of the wind died off. Quiet. Why was he suddenly...

 

"Nh? Yug'?" he asked, turning to look at the boy before staring with wide eyes. "H-Holy shit..." Mai also turned, quickly giving a silent gasp as they stared. The maid that stood before them had her eyes closed, glasses having fallen to the ground in a non-existent gale, possibly having been tossed to the side. Just as the theory came to mind he realized there was no such sign of them on the ground either. The book she held from before was clutched so tightly against her chest it almost appeared to be a part of the woman's body as she stood, hair blowing back behind her in an intense wind that only seemed to affect her. The weird thing though, weirder than all that?

 

She was glowing. A bright, brilliant white blue that was so intense he couldn't tell if her eyes were open or closed any more. What was going on? Katsuya tensed as Eri's book vanished completely, arms moving calmly to the side. As the woman did this however, feet obscured by her long apron-wrapped dress, a sudden crack came through the air to distract the three from whatever else was happening. They jumped back from the ground as it began to split, dirt flying through the air as they pulled further back. From the boundaries of the outlined 'beast' a fissure began to develop, Katsuya standing at the side and watching as the earth moved aside for an immense metal device to rise from the ground. The 'head' was first, metallic 'fins' spreading wide from the side of its face, mouth opening wide to shake free the dust that was literally pouring from the cracks in the ground.

 

Enormous diamond encrusted wings broke free of the surface, stones flying through the air and over their heads to slam violently into nearby architecture without a care. Slowly it pulled itself free, taking shaking steps out of the ground as the dust continued to fly past them. An enormous metal dragon, a creature that none could begin to compare to a 'bird' rose before them, the sunlight gleaming off both the white steel and the blue-white diamonds embedded along its joints. A tail that was as long as the monster's body itself swished briefly, blasting back the final remains of debris before taking a steady stance among the rubble with a final stomp. And finally it was over... Enormous wings were spread wide along what used to be a mere outline, the dragon's head lowering to the ground mechanically with dead grey eyes. And then...

 

Silence. Was it... Dead? Mai slowly walked forward, shaking her head in confusion as she placed a hand along the monster. "It's not showing any signs of life at all," she said quietly, turning toward the others with worried eyes as she attempted to ignore the still 'glowing' maid to the side. "It simply... 'Died'," she finished confusedly, frowning and shaking her head. "It..."

 

"It is ready," Eri said calmly, the others turning to her in silent confusion.

 

The maid no longer looked like a maid despite what the uniform said. Narrowed gold eyes had softened in an odd way, the stance and posture she held speaking of anything but servitude. What was ready, Katsuya thought with a frown, staring at the 'spirit'. The dragon? The thing just died, it wasn't going anywhere!

 

Even so the woman stepped forward, audience stepping back with wide eyes as she moved toward the motionless beast's head. "I must explain," she said with a small smile, turning to the others as the unseen wind continued to blow against the woman to cause the dress and hair to billow around her in quiet waves. "I am sure after all, that you have wondered why we as a people did not fight sooner... Why we did not attempt to summon the aid of the monsters of this land..." They stared, watching as Eri appeared to 'flame' in the same figurative wind, colours vanishing from her body and leaving her as little more than a blue spectre of sorts as she stared at the dragon before her. "It is not that we are unable," she explained, hands held to her sides as she stared at the magnificent creature. "It is that we _are_ the beasts of this land." Hang on... What? 'Eri' turned, seemingly sightless eyes looking over the three before she bowed her head. "It has been a long time," she stated with subtle gratitude in her voice, "Since I could reclaim my true form... The dark magics of the castle to the north are strong, so much that it was all I could do to keep these people from dying... These lands were sealed a thousand years before for this very reason, this area remaining as the place that would break that seal... And the time has come," she continued calmly, voice seeming to echo through the air as the others listened in slight awe. "And you have proven yourselves more than worthy of my aid. Please," she continued, stepping back to 'merge' with the head of the dragon behind her in a smooth motion. "I would be honoured to fight along your side as the Dragon of Light, the Shining One, once more... Allow me to aid you in your battle!"

 

The three didn't even skip a beat with their answer, each of them nodding in response. Weird as this was, hey. It was a game, wasn't it? "'F course," Katsuya said with a nod, the others walking closer toward the dragon and Eri both.

 

"Why would we say no?" Yugi asked, the spirit staring in response before smiling calmly.

 

A blinding light came from the diamond it was sinking into at the brow of the dragon, the spirit giving a steady nod before disappearing completely. It shimmered through the monster and with an echoing shudder the machine came to life, blue eyes sparking with a cold flame before blinking a few times. The monster's mouth slowly clicked open and shut, head rising from the ground and shaking free any remaining piles of dirt from its scales. They continued to shake, taking a shaky step forward as it rose to its full height above the three, blocking out the sun and giving low, stuttering growls. One second passed. Two...

 

And in an instant it was gone, Katsuya jumping somewhat as the beast soared through the air with a loud and cheerful cry. " _GNNNAAAAAOOOOOOOOO_ ," the monster chorused through the air, the 'roar' passing through the air clearly despite the distance it had already put between the ground and itself. " _NAAAAAOOOOOOOOO_!"

 

They watched, eyes wide as it flew through the air, flipping and twirling through the sky without any reason save to simply do so, Loop-the-loops, somersaults, and barrel rolls skipping above.

 

"Hnhnhnhnhn! She seems to be enjoying herself," Mai said with a smile, arms crossed somewhat as the dragon began to make its way back. "I don't think most birds or planes could make those moves..."

 

"A thousand years is a long time," Yugi said with a small smile, shrugging as they watched the dragon circle around them briefly. "I guess it's only natural..." Yeah, probably...

 

A wave of dust blew past them as the dragon landed, the trio shielding their eyes as it gave another loud roar. The dirt settled to the ground, the three looking up as the dragon quickly lowered its wings and head to meet them. ' _You'll have to forgive me,_ ' a voice sang out, the dragon's mouth moving with it as the others stared. Er. Hey! She could um... She could talk. Ok. ' _It has been a long time... But I am ready,_ ' it continued lowering the wing further until it touched the ground to create a 'stepladder' of sorts. ' _Please... Hop on!_ '

 

* * *

 

The skies above them were dark and storming, the lack of rain only due to the trek taking them far above the layer of cloud that would release such things. Clouds thundered both above and below, and had it not been for the constant pressing knowledge of the time it would have likely been a surprising fact that it was only 'mid-day' by the video game's standards. It was slow going, steering the Blue-Eyes White Dragon with only one arm of course- only half the notes of control were accessible to the Dragon Piper, and already the beast had twice demonstrated its rebellion as a result. The woman that they had locked in the castle had a good arm, he would give her that.

 

Cutting off his own before the dragon released its flames had allowed the beast enough control to hold back on the attack. To hold back enough that only the cloth armor surrounding her had been disintegrated, the rest of the damage dealt merely by the force of being thrown back against the castle walls. There was no doubt however, that Blue-Eyes had held back in its attack that time. And again, the piper told himself angrily, against the blond on the roof. It had just barely missed in its attack, as though fighting against what it wanted to do despite having already fired a blast of flames at only half the usual strength.

 

"But you're still mine, aren't you?" the piper muttered with his second mouth, grinning wickedly as the beast merely flew on in a controlled silence. "Yes," he hissed, chuckling somewhat. "You know who your master is... Unlike certain three-eyed mages," he called out with a raised tone, rolling his eye as he thought of the 'Sanwitch' he'd been paired with for the task. "Honestly," he shouted with a scowl, "How do you get anything done being mute?" he asked in the same tone, shaking his head. "Do you have any idea how difficult it is to tell when you're ready to go when you can't say anything? ...I don't even know why I'm asking you anything," the piper grumbled angrily, "I mean, it isn't like you're going to say anything back! Ahhh... But I kid," he said somewhat dismissively, again shaking his head as he focused on continuing the eerie and almost funeral worthy tune. "For a mute, you're alright... I don't suppose you could use sign language, or some kind of special magic though, tell me what you're thinking," the piper rambled on, shrugging despite the lack of his arm on one side. "Maybe tell me what it's like, having three eyes instead of two... Gh-! Hk..."

 

The notes of the flute faltered somewhat, the Piper choking as a pair of blades dug deep into his second mouth. The lips spread wide as he gagged on the blades, single eye looking down while he managed to continue playing the controlling melody of the pipe.

 

"Gkch... Glacgk... Alchk..." Smoke poured from his wounds, the monster slowly turning his 'first head' to see large blue eyes in the place of his partner's slit gold ones, the witch's robes all but hiding his killer's face. They were his only sign but it was enough for him to falter again, eye widening in fear as he continued to choke.

 

"I wouldn't know about having three eyes actually," the boy behind him said calmly, pulling the blade free of the piper as it gasped. "I only have two."

 

The monster stumbled forward, notes faltering even more as the dragon slowly shook his head with a growl. It was amazing that he was still playing. Still holding at least a fragment of control over the beast...

 

But with a single swift kick the monster was tossed off the side of the dragon, Mokuba hurriedly sheathing his blades in his sleeves and watching the beast fall. The notes began to fade. Without missing a beat the boy turned, running forward to grab the horned 'fins' on either side of the monster's head as the dragon regained complete control of itself. "Grrr..." The monster shook itself, before thrashing violently as it reclaimed its senses and realized just where it was. "G _RAAAAOOO_! RAA _AAAOOOO!_ "

 

"Shhh!" Mokuba held tightly as the dragon flailed, flapping its wings angrily while it broke free of the piper's magic completely. He winced as the monster gave a particularly violent 'jump', the boy briefly becoming airborne as he tightened his grip on the fins he held. "Shhh! Calm down," he whispered, briefly pondering on how vividly different this was from his child-hood dream of riding on a Blue-Eyes White Dragon. The dragon continued to hiss and roar, teeth snapping as it attempted to shake the boy from its head. "Calm down," he repeated, stroking the side of the dragon's head as though it were his horse, the monster appearing to settle at his touch. Alright...

 

Alright, he could do this... It was just like riding Yuki after all, wasn't it? Just keep calm, don't show any fear...

 

"It's alright... It's alright," he said with nervous and quiet swallows, breathing deeply in an attempt to calm himself. "They aren't controlling you any more... Just calm down..." The dragon continued to growl, halting its thrashes as though in thought. The boy in the meantime looked up, narrowing his eyes as the 'Black Castle' came into view. Not much time left... Alright. "Listen," he whispered, eyes not moving from the castle ahead. "You need to stay calm," he muttered with a swallow, dark and demonic beasts of all shapes and sizes passing him by as he kept his voice low. "We're going to get my nee-sama, your 'master' out," he explained quietly, the dragon still holding only partially still as it seemed to ponder the words, "But you need to stay calm and follow my lead, understand?" Please let this work...

 

The dragon gave a low growl, turning its head slightly as though to look up at the boy riding on his neck. Silence. It couldn't look directly at the boy of course, given that Mokuba in question was technically sitting at the very top of its neck. Even so it appeared to nod, swooping into a steady path toward the castle before them rather than continuing on its unsteady and hesitant flight path. The dragon's passenger sighed, loosening his grip slightly on the fins now that he was confident he wouldn't be tossed overboard. Alright. Mokuba silently nodded to himself in relief as the dragon fell silent, flying in toward the castle grounds and passing through the barrier with no problems. The castle was still somewhat far off, given how far the ring sat from the building itself. He'd have some time to think on his plans.

 

It was pure luck that he'd been snatched off by a mute monster, not that he'd be complaining. The boy looked back at where the still unconscious 'sanwitch' sat, wrapped tightly in the sacrificial robes as it curled in on itself. He had to admit, it had been just slightly satisfying when he pulled the monster into the electric charged net... Though it helped to avoid being shocked simply because of the copious amounts of fabric he'd been wrapped in. The fact that he could fit through the holes near the top of the net were always handy as well he decided, steering Blue-Eyes down toward the ground as the castle came closer. The dragon landed before the entrance, Mokuba clambering off the monster before moving to untie the rope holding the net to its leg.

 

"Remember," he whispered quietly, looking around nervously in case someone appeared as he pulled the net forward. "Follow my lead..." It nodded, Mokuba making sure to hold his head low as he grabbed the net. There was obviously a notable difference in skin tone, but if he kept hidden he could avoid being spotted. Now then...

 

"You've returned," a somewhat suave voice stated, Mokuba jumping slightly as a monster he recognized as the 'Witty Phantom' appeared. "And I see you've returned with the sacrifice," he said with a toothy grin, the boy merely bowing his head to keep with his facade. Yeah.

 

The 'sacrifice'...

 

The phantom came close, looking over the robed, somewhat 'hidden' figure before snapping his fingers with a smirk. Shadows wrapped around the net, reaching from the ground almost hungrily before pulling it into the ground as the demon looked back at Mokuba. "Your actions will most certainly be rewarded," 'Phantom' stated with a grin, arms held behind his back as Mokuba turned to look through the cloth on his face. "Same with your loyalty... I could use a partner for the sacrificial ceremony," the demon continued, "Someone to oversee the actions with me. It's an amazing sight," he said almost with awe, turning away from the boy as he spoke. "To see the flames erupt from the lava below, encompassing the soles of the sacrifices feet... Sending their bodies into an endless blaze of fire to herald the God's return, screams chorusing our master's reign!"

 

Mokuba held silent, going somewhat green in the face at the thought of his sister going up in flames. He had to go along with this. It wouldn't happen even if it cost his life after all! He bowed his head somewhat as the phantom turned back, still grinning.

 

"A truly amazing sight," he repeated quietly. "You'll join me?" he asked, the boy across from him nodding somewhat hesitantly. He would certainly follow the monster to his sister's cell, that was certain. "Good... Wonderful! Follow me Sanwitch," he said with a grin, walking forward as Mokuba came behind him in response to the monster's name. "What you are about to see... Will change your life completely..."

 

Following behind the monster, it was only the knowledge that he would soon leave with his older sister that kept him from taking down the demon right there.

 

* * *

 

Thundering pounds struck against the door, Honda's head slamming back against one of the boxes he was pushing with a groan. Despite having rearranged a number of the boxes in lieu of not being completely crushed by the things, it was still fairly easy to be nailed in the face if they weren't careful.

 

"Awwwww damn it," he muttered, slamming one of the boxes hard against the door as it threatened to slide back against his face. "There has to be another way to do this," he said with a grunt, gritting his teeth as Anzu continued pushing against the barricade as well. "Maybe an automatic lock, or even just another door..." Mokuba said that the doors had those right?

 

Anzu shook her head, pushing against the boxes as the thuds continued from the other side. "If you can think of a way to make them stop," she grunted as she grit her teeth, "Then you're welcome to check that book for an idea. But until then-"

 

_-briii briiiiii_

 

Honda paled, looking down at his pocket as Anzu followed his gaze. The pocket was visibly vibrating somewhat as the phone rang, a dull light from the screen coming through the cloth. The teen looked back up, before staring at the phone as it continued. "No," Anzu said with wide eyes, shaking her head. "Ooooh no, no you are not answering that now..." The teen swallowed, looking from Anzu back to his pocket before pulling out the phone. "Honda..." He flipped the phone open, wincing as a particularly solid thump against the barricade rammed the back of his head. "Honda do _not_ answer that phone," the woman said with a frown, her friend looking at the caller I.D. as it continued to ring. "Honda..."

 

The teen paled even more, looking at Anzu with a swallow. "It's my sister," he hissed, eyes wide as he fingered the 'answer' button. "I can't ignore that!"

 

She shook her head, jerking it toward the door with an incredulous expression on her face. " _Yes_ , you can," she protested, a particularly loud bang coming through the air as the boxes were pushed back somewhat. "And you will!" she growled, pushing the boxes back against the wall, "Or else we're likely to get crushed by all these boxes before everyone else is killed as well!" Honda looked back at his phone, the ringing stopping for a moment only to come back with a loud and seemingly angered tone. He looked at the phone, biting his lip and giving a defeated look toward Anzu. "...Honda," she said somewhat incredulously, moving closer with a frown. "Don't do it! Ho-"

 

_-click-_

 

Agggggggh... "E-Ehhh... M-Moshi moshi, ane-san..." Anzu smacked her head against the boxes, audible shouts coming from the other end of the phone. ' _Hiroto!_ ' Honda's sister shouted, the teen in question wincing and holding the phone back from his ear as the woman's voice echoed over the room. ' _You were supposed to be home over two hours ago to look after Jouji_ ,' she shouted angrily. ' _Where are you?_ ' The teen coughed, shifting his weight against the boxes in an attempt to hold his position as he faltered against the 'new' attack. "Er... I... I'm kinda busy right now ane-san..." He coughed again as the thundering continued, looking at the phone with somewhat fear filled eyes as Anzu continued to groan. "Do... Do you think you could call back later," he continued with a cough, nervously looking back at the barricade behind him. "I mean... I'm sorry I didn't call or anything... Er..."

 

_-SLAM!_

 

The teen was again bumped forward by the force from the wall, nonetheless holding the fort against the physical attacks. ' _What the hell do you mean, 'call back later_ ',' the woman screeched, Honda continuing to wince at the volume. 'Y _ou told me you would be there! I had work Hiroto! Jouji was alone for a full hour before I found out! What kind of thing could possibly be so important that you didn't even bother to call me!_ ' Erm... Um... About that...

 

- _SLAM!_

 

Honda winced again as the boxes shifted, Anzu hurriedly pushing them back into position against the pounds in an attempt to keep them from falling off. Dust continued to fall from the ceiling, the teen's eyes drifting around the room in an attempt to find an excuse. "Er..." He looked back at the piles before glancing at Anzu, only to receive a rather incredulous 'you're asking me' expression in response. He continued to give a pleading look, before hurriedly giving his answer to the impatiently waiting woman on the other end of the phone. "Er... N-Nothing!" he shouted nervously, "Nothing at all!"

 

- _SLAM!_

 

Alright, that was probably not the best thing to say he thought soon after that. ' _NOTHING?_ ' his sister roared, Honda barely keeping his hands on the boxes as opposed to on his ears. The pounding continued, a particularly sharp corner of a pod-fragment digging into his shoulder. ' _Then you obviously aren't as busy as you want me to believe Hiroto! Get back here NOW!_ ' she continued, brother biting his lip in response. Well, um, about that...

 

- _SLAM!_

 

"Aaaaahhhh, I can't do that... I really am busy," he protested as the slamming continued while he winced. "I really am..! Goh!" He choked as the boxes pounded rather roughly into his back, the teen resisting the urge to rub the spot in question as he slammed back against the boxes to set them into place once more.

 

- _SLAM!_

 

_'Then what are you doing,_ ' the woman on the other end demanded with a snarl, her brother coughing rather nervously in response. ' _Please_ ,' she spat, ' _Tell me just what is so important that you have to lie about it!_ ' The teen swallowed again, looking back toward Anzu as the woman at his side rolled her eyes. "Ahhh..."

 

- _SLAM!_

 

_'And what the hell is that noise?_ ' his sister continued with a questioning growl, Honda in question left just as clueless in response. "A-Ahhhhhhh..."

 

He tensed, Anzu finally grabbing the phone with a growl and bringing it to her end as the pounding continued. "O-Oi, Anz-"

 

"A _hh~_ ," she said with a fairly 'erotic' tone, the one on the other end struck completely silent. "Hiroto~!," she shouted into the phone, "Stop that!~"

 

The phone was clicked over in an instant after those words, the rather unimpressed looking woman tossing the phone back to a dumbstruck Honda with a glare.

 

"Problem solved," she said with narrowed eyes, pushing back against the barricade with renewed force. The teen stared, dropping the phone in his pocket and almost falling to the ground against the force of the pounding before shaking his head and staring.

 

"Holy shit," he muttered, Anzu pointing at him with a wide eyed scowl. “...Holy shit _she's going to destroy me_...”

 

"Better her, than these guys. ...And not a word about that to the others," she warned, before narrowing her eyes and returning to the barricade. "Understand?"

 

Honda nodded hurriedly, swallowing audibly as they continued to hold the fort. "C... Crystal..."

 

* * *

 

The heat in the room was quickly becoming unbearable she thought as she took constant and audible ragged breaths. A thick wave that despite only gradually increasing had the nasty advantage of being simply too hot to ignore. What was hot before when she first woke up, was something she would gladly have considered 'lukewarm' by this point the woman decided with a weak swallow. Perhaps even just a calm spring day she thought as she closed her eyes and hung limp on the stone cross. It was taking all she had not to simply pass out right there, and as it was her head was hanging back against the stone as opposed to down as she attempted to stay awake. Tired...

 

So tired damn it...

 

She grit her teeth and swallowed again, before allowing her head to hang forward once more with a ragged breath. "G-Ghn... Aha... aha... aha..." This couldn't be the end she thought bitterly, clenching her fists. She didn't lose, she _wouldn't_ lose... This couldn't be the end... "Ahha... hah... ha..."

 

"Greetings, Seto-sama," a voice called from the front. Seto slowly re-gathered the strength to look up, glaring at the suit-wearing demon as he walked in. Hn... Looking sharp for someone who ought to be dead. "Feeling tired?" the monster asked mockingly, spinning his cap on his fingers as he looked toward the woman. Dark chuckling filled the air as he stepped forward somewhat, remaining around the arch of the bridge behind him. "Oh don't worry," he said calmly, "It'll all be over in an instant," the monster continued with a wide and viscous grin. Seto merely clenched and unclenched her fists, glaring at the monster before her in silence. "You see," he said with a cruel laugh, "We have both sacrifices now..." The grin on the monster's face darkened, and he continued on. "A heartwarming reunion you could say... Your dear brother's attempt to 'save' you has only led to your very downfalls!" What...

 

Her brother?! But he wasn't playing this game, he wasn't here! The woman's eyes widened with horror at the thought, watching as the demon snapped his fingers. No... He wasn't here, he wasn't! She pulled herself up somewhat against the chains before following the demon's gaze to the side, watching as shadows appeared from the ground in an almost regurgitating fashion. A blackcoated 'lump' appeared from within, before revealing itself to be a net bound, white robed figure.

 

W...

 

What..? She stared, before narrowing her eyes somewhat as the robed figure moved somewhat with a quiet groan. Not her brother's voice. The cloth shifted, a golden eye turning upward with narrowed confusion as Seto drew back. Not her brother's eyes. And the skin... Green. This wasn't her brother, not by a long shot, this was-

 

"Ghk! Gnnaah... Ahhhh..." Seto turned with a jolt, eyes widening as she looked at the witty phantom's frozen and wide eyes. The demon stood, gasping for breath only to lose it in his decompressing lungs and looking down at the two large blades piercing through his chest. Slowly looking forward as blood began to pour from his mouth at the corners, escaping with what little air he could force out from them as a small bit of blood dripped from the blades. "G... Aahh... Ahhhhhhh..."

 

The blades were ripped out violently as the demon fell forward into convulsions, the figure behind him ripping off simple white robes and tossing them into the lava pit at the side. In a swift, smooth motion the two blades were sheathed, black and blue armor meeting the woman's eyes before the figure before her walked forward and pulled down his mask. It was... Impossible. Seto stared, swallowing as the boy continued to walk forward. It was...

 

"Heh... Seto-neesama," Mokuba said with a grin, walking closer before forming a card from his 'hand'. He gripped the card lightly as he stared at the woman, brushing some hair back from under his helmet. "Don't talk," he said as the woman stood there, staring with somewhat wide eyes as her brother calmly grabbed the edges of the net on the ground and tossed 'Sanwitch' into the lava pit at the side. "I'm getting you out of here alright?" the boy continued, holding the card toward the cross with a slight nod. "Just hang on... De-Spell," he called with a slight echo, the card vanishing into dust in an instant. The shackles that held Seto in place followed with it, vanishing from around her wrists along with the cross itself.

 

The woman fell to her feet, stumbling slightly before pulling herself up using the stone wall behind her. "Gh... Mokuba," she rasped, her brother grabbing her wrist and pulling the deck holder from his own. She frowned, watching as it flashed somewhat in the boy's grip. A deck holder. But he didn't have any cards, unless... "What are you doing..."

 

The boy frowned, clacking the wrist into place on his sister's own before holding up another card. "Gift of the Holy Elf," he stated, the woman before him taking a sudden breath as energy filled her body. She coughed somewhat, eyes widening briefly as she shook her head and looked back at her brother. Her deck? He'd been using...

 

...Huh...

 

"Come on," the boy said with a slight frown, pulling the woman toward the exit by her good arm as she rubbed her head with the other. "Blue-Eyes is just outside, if we hurry, we can escape without problems..." Blue-Eyes was? What?

 

Seto looked down at the boy, following him down the drawbridge and through the door. "Blue-Eyes?" she repeated somewhat hoarsely, frowning. "Since when did Blue-Eyes fit in-" The woman froze as they stopped outside the exit, finding herself greeted by a smaller, dog-sized version of her dragon sitting patiently in the hall. The monster gave a cheerful croon, looking up at its 'master' and nuzzling against the woman's side. "Gh... What..?"

 

Mokuba shrugged, merely shaking his head at the sight. "I don't know how it's that small either," he said with a frown, turning to his sister. "We came into the castle, and suddenly he shrank down..." The boy sighed, scratching his head beneath the helmet he wore before replacing it and crossing his arms. "I'm just as confused as you are nee-sama! But nee-sama," he continued with a frown, looking up at the woman with a swallow. "That isn't the point right now, I-"

 

"You're right," she muttered, shaking her head and absently patting the dragon's head. "That's not the point... Mokuba," she asked, Blue-Eyes nuzzling against the woman some more before looking down the hall. Seto followed its gaze briefly, narrowing her eyes as a shadow flickered across the far off hall. "How..." No, not even that... "Why did you come?" she corrected with a frown, looking at her brother as the boy merely stared back.

 

He smiled wryly in reply, biting his lip and giving a half-hearted shrug as he shook his head. "...You're my big sister," he said with a smile, formerly severe gaze softening completely. "I'm not going to leave you behind," the boy shouted somewhat, shaking his head. "And it's not just me," he added with a somewhat hesitant grin, crossing his arms. "The others are all fighting for you as well! The other beta-tester turned out to be Kujaku Mai, she's here," he said with a slight nod, Seto tensing for a moment. Alright, keep the cloak closed then- "Along with Katsuya-nii, and Yu-" What.

 

"You brought the _Mutt_ ," Seto asked with distaste, narrowing her eyes with a growl. Oh great. As if dealing with him at the house was bad enough... "...Hold on," she corrected, shaking her head. Back up a moment. 'Yuu'? She'd cut Mokuba off as he said...

 

...Oh hell.

 

"...Please tell me that _Mutou Yugi_ did not come as well," she said with grit teeth, the boy beside her coughing awkwardly. "PLEASE," she repeated darkly, fists clenching. "I..."

 

The boy coughed a few more times, looking to the side awkwardly. In the end he shook his head, sighing as he walked forward and stared at the ground. "Hahhhh...I..." He bit his lip, looking up at his sister briefly before resuming his fairly nervous gaze at the ground. "I know you don't like him," he said with a swallow, giving an awkward shrug. "But I didn't know who else to turn to," the boy protested loudly, looking up at his sister with wide eyes. "I needed help, and if anyone could do it it was Katsuya-nii and Yugi..!" That wasn't the point! He was good at games, she would admit that...

 

Damn good, there was a reason why she wanted to face him again when she had the chance. But this. Was. Not good. This was not good, this was going to be hell, god damn it if _he_ of all people saw her in these clothes! She could only hold the cloak shut so long, and if she was going to draw her blade...

 

"Anyone," she finally muttered, rubbing her head with a growl. "The ' _dog_ ' would even be a better choice," the woman continued as Blue-Eyes looked over the two confusedly, "At least then I wouldn't have to deal with this!"

 

The boy beside her froze somewhat, as though considering asking about 'this' before his eyes widened in apparent realization. "Oh..." The boy paled, swallowing as he realized what his sister was getting at. "Ohhhh!" He coughed, turning away with a nervous laugh. "A-Actually nee-sama," he began, rubbing his head nervously. "Yugi already knows about you being a girl... He-"

 

"What..." Seto stopped, slowly turning to look at her brother with wide eyes. She stood frozen for a moment, expression caught largely between shock and anger. Impossible. It had to be! The only way that could have happened was if the Mutt had opened his mouth, and she'd made it perfectly clear to that moron that if he said a word he would be digging an early grave. And even without that, she

thought bitterly. "He knows?" she repeated, fists clenching tightly as she turned to look down the hall.

 

The woman took off at a steady and brisk walk, glowering as her nails dug into her palms. That. Was. IT. The day was already shaping up to be one of the worst, but now?

 

HAH.

 

"Alright," she said with a growl, Blue-Eyes following behind almost confusedly as she stormed down the hall. "I don't care how much you care about that insignificant weakling!" she spat furiously, "He's as good as dead to me now!"

 

Mokuba yelped somewhat with those words, running behind her with a start. "A-Ahh! Nee-sama," he protested nervously, "Katsuya-nii didn't tell him!" Like hell she'd believe that.

 

Nonetheless the boy continued, racing after the woman as Blue-Eyes skirted to the side to make room in the hall.

 

"I'm telling the truth!" he claimed with a panicked shout, "Yugi found out on his own, Katsuya-nii has nothing to do with it!"

 

She snorted, continuing on her way without looking back. "I'll believe that when the moron graduates at the top of his class," she growled, left palm stinging slightly as her grip tightened. "As it is, I don't think this needs explanation."

 

"But it's _true!_ " he said with a shout, shaking his head and picking up his speed. "D-During the time that Yugi found out," he began, coughing somewhat as he came to a stop. "During that time..." Seto as well stopped moving, turning back to the boy as he looked down awkwardly. During that time what? Why did he suddenly stop..? "...When Yugi found out about your secret," the boy explained quietly, "He was in a dueling arena, with no one else but his opponent... And," he continued hesitantly, the Blue-Eyes at the side appearing to attempt at comforting the boy, "Katsuya-nii was..." He swallowed, shaking his head in an attempt to steel himself. "Katsuya-nii was trying to save me at that time... So... So there was no chance for him to do something like that!" Mokuba insisted, biting his lip. "And even if there was," he continued with a shout, narrowing his eyes with a glare that briefly threw the woman before him off, "I trust him! With my life even! He's a good person nee-sama... He wouldn't sell us out, and neither would Yugi and the others!"

 

The boy took deep breaths, clenched fists loosening their grip as he calmed himself down. "...Nee-sama," he said with a slight smile Blue-Eyes looking between the two with a low and curious growl. "I'm sorry but... They're my friends," the boy said, shaking his head as the smile on his face seemed to break under the quivering tone. "I didn't know who else to turn to but them..." His friends?

 

The woman's gaze softened somewhat, frown still in place. The one who wanted a normal life and he ended up making friends with her rival and rival's friends rather than someone his age. She shifted somewhat, expression largely unreadable as her brother stood there. Fine. She could accept this defense this time... Mokuba didn't lie. Not to her at least...

 

And not about things like this, that was for sure. Never for things like this. He wasn't lying... But to come here, into this place... "...You needn't have," she finally said quietly, looking down at her brother as the boy wiped his eyes. She walked over, coming to her knees by the boy and placing a hand lightly on his shoulder. Don't cry... Please...

 

"What else was there to do," her brother said with a sad shrug, shaking his head and looking at the woman as he sniffed. "You were trapped," he protested, swallowing again. "And I needed hel-"

 

No. The boy tensed as he was pulled over, Seto shaking her head again as she gave her brother a light hug. That wasn't the reason. That was never the reason, not really... "You needn't have come here," she said calmly, Mokuba staring past the woman's shoulder with wide eyes as the last few words were added. To this place, to this game... "It's too dangerous here," she continued with a whisper, tightening her hold on the boy. A miracle he'd survived to get here at all. Anyone, to say the least. It was just too... "For you... For anyone in this death trap," she spat, pulling out of the hug and standing to look to the side with a worried frown. "Far too dangerous," she repeated, voice barely audible. "You didn't need to come..."

 

The boy stared, before shaking his head with a smirk and moving past the woman into the main hall of the castle with Blue-Eyes behind him. "Yeah," he said with a smile, looking back and waiting for his sister to come along. "I _did_ have to come, nee-sama..." Seto blinked, expression for the most part impassive as stared before shaking her head. Hn...

 

She couldn't win against her brother in the end. She really couldn't... It was just her luck they had the same stubborn streak. She sighed, moving forward to join her brother before tensing, a chilled feeling coming up her spine as she moved her hand toward her deck. A shadow blurred past, the woman picking up her pace to move beside her brother as she grit her teeth. "Gh... Mokuba," she called, the boy nodding and pulling back behind her as he drew his two swords. "...Blue-Eyes!" she continued, drawing a card from her deck and glancing at it.

 

A swirling vortex met her eyes, before the polymerization card vanished from her hand. Someone was definitely here if she had been 'allowed' to draw a card she thought bitterly, hands moving for her sword. The small dragon moved to circle the pair as she did this, looking around the room with narrowed eyes and giving off a low growl. Someone was there... Seto slowly drew her sword, walking forward alongside Mokuba as they looked around. Watching them, like before... But where...

 

Silence filled the air as Blue-Eyes cut its growls, Seto continuing forward with narrowed eyes. "...Nee-sama," the boy asked quietly, the woman not moving her gaze from the room. "...Do you hear that?"

 

_-fffpt_!

 

A card flew through the air, Seto's eyes widening as the familiar violet rimmed trap card flew toward them. It never landed on the ground however, the slip of paper dissolving through the air to form dust as it flew, clay pot of the Dragon capture jar appearing before them. "Tch... Not this time," she growled, charging forward as the pot slowly quivered in a move to activate its magic. Gleaming glass eyes stared forward, Seto pushing the panicked cries of the dragon behind her from mind as the pot in front of her began to pull the beast in. "Lets see how long you stand after going under a second firing," she snarled, blade gripped tightly in her hand as she pulled it back. " **FIRE** ," she roared, the sword instantly blazing in her hands as she pulled it around and into the Dragon Capture Jar.

 

A series of cracks developed along the side on contact, the heat seeping into the pot from the flames and serving to crack the pot even further. What started as a quiet crumbling noise turned into a chorus of splintering sounds, the magic of the pot cutting completely as her Blue-Eyes shook itself off. Within mere seconds it was rendered nothing but dust on the ground before them, Seto holding an arm in front of her face as a blast of light blew the scraps through the room. The woman lowered it in only a moment as the dust fell, turning to look forward despite the blinding light still filling the room. The light cleared... And Seto smirked, watching as the Armed Ninja stood before them in a nervous attack pose.

 

That war scythe would do him no good now... "Hn!" She snorted as she drew a card, looking over it before narrowing her eyes in mirth. Oh. Now this would work... "Trying to capture my Blue-Eyes again?" she 'asked', holding the card forward as the smirk grew into a dark grin. Seto brought her blade to her side, the dragon behind her growling menacingly as the card began to glow. "Lets see how you handle two! Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" she shouted, the card vanishing into a trail of dust and swirling into a blinding light at her side as the second dragon joined them. The monster slowly stretched its neck, managing to hold its menacing appearance even while holding the size of a large dog. The two dragons looked around their master's side, awaiting the woman's command as she continued. "Attack with _BURST STREAM_!" In a blast of light the two dragons fired, twin streams of blue-white flames coming down on the monster before them. Not a spec of the monster was left in its wake, the flames taking mere seconds to die down as Seto stared at the now blackened tiles. The menu of course appeared, lifepoints adding to the deck holder at the side. Thanks to her initial move, she'd just gained another level 'apparently'.

 

Who cared about experience right now though; the main focus was getting the hell out of here, not on 'leveling up'. The two dragons turned back from where they were inspecting the 'rubble' on the ground, Mokuba and Seto both following their gaze before exchanging a look. The dragons seemed awfully... Cat-like. To say the least. "...Lets get out of here," the boy finally said, his sister nodding in response after a brief moment.

 

"Good idea..."

 

* * *

 

When dark clouds suddenly started appearing from nowhere, Katsuya had a feeling they were getting close. It might not have been raining, but given that there were clouds beneath the clouds beneath them he would say that rain wasn't something to base the distance on. The blond looked up from where he was sitting behind Eri's 'head diamond', The others standing behind him in silence as they flew through the air. As the castle began to appear in the distance however, a mere 'smudge' of black against the dark clouds, so did its monsters- a swarm of pin-prick dots appearing around the sky.

 

Katsuya swallowed, Yugi and Mai following his gaze toward the monsters in uneasy silence. "Eri-san?" the boy behind him began somewhat nervously, their ride taking a sudden turn to 'circle' the castle. "Will you be alright on our way in?" he asked, looking over the enormous swarm in the distance.

 

There was a low rumble, the dragon 'nodding' in response as the others looked down at the slightly glowing diamond. ' _There is only one way into the castle, so we will need to fight to reach the entrance_ ' she explained calmly, soaring above the developing swarm of monsters. The trio looked below as the 'pinpricks' remained as such, even while the castle itself appeared closer than it had long before. ' _It is not, however, a matter of my own condition._ ' The three blinked, looking back at the dragon as it began to circle the castle. ' _I will be fine,_ ' she insisted calmly, wings barely flapping to keep the beast alight. _'For now however, you must focus on keeping yourselves alive, for our path takes us through that swarm you see now.'_ Err...

 

Katsuya swallowed, looking past Eri's head and paling. The one that they were heading for right now? With the pinpricks that were more or less... Not... Pricks anymore?

 

Mai nodded, gripping her staff tightly and stepping back somewhat as the boys looked over the edge. "Alright," she said, holding out her hand as a number of cards appeared in her fingers. One, two, three, f- How many cards was she going to summon? The woman winked, fanning the cards out and taking a stance of sorts on the dragon's head. "Let's go all out, right, boys?"

 

The other two nodded, Yugi drawing his card for the battle as Katsuya did the same. Ah damn it. Bad draw. Again. "Err... Copycat," Katsuya said with a nervous laugh, handing it to Yugi as the boy blinked. He started at it for a moment, before it vanished into dust to join the other cards in his hand. "Well," he said with a shrug, "Mind as well save it f'r later righ'?"

 

"Right," Yugi said with a nod, before looking over his own card. The boy held a somewhat neutral smile on his face as he held it forward, facing the swarm below as Eri dove toward the crowd of monsters at an increased pace. "Dark Magician!" he cried, the card vanishing into a cloud of dust. In an instant the violet robed figure appeared at the boy's side, staff held tight in his grip as he looked toward his master. Yugi pulled out his boomerang, looking to the others with a determined nod as the weapon un-folded. "I'll take the left side," he said somewhat confidently, the others also nodding in response. "Lets go," he continued as he looked at his monster, the Magician beside him nodding as they took off.

 

Mai in the meantime tossed the number of cards in the air, her lifepoints plummeting to a few hundred from the fairly impressive amount she'd held before as Katsuya watched. "Mass Summon!" she declared, each card developing into a sphere of sorts, feathers, flames and shadows all filling the air before them. "Harpies' Pet Dragon," she shouted loudly, the flaming orb bursting into a mass of red scales that hovered just above the dragon they were on now. "Harpy Ladies!" In a flurry of feathers the monsters appeared, flexing their wings threateningly as they gave a loud and fearsome battle cry. Mai merely gave them a strong and supporting glance, before drawing a card from her deck and tossing that one forward as well. "Valkyrie!" In a trail of dust the card was gone, a black winged and horned 'angel' appearing with a staff at her side. A small army within seconds...

 

Though that was nothing compared with what they were about to fight against. The sky darkened completely as a feral series of battle cries filled the air, the trio of newly summoned harpies following after the winged witch into the fray. With a run and a leap Mai grabbed hold of the chain hanging from the dragon above her, flipping onto its back and looking back at Yugi and Katsuya as Eri dove down to avoid the first wave. Already her monsters were preoccupied with holding others off, the woman herself standing between her dragon's shoulders with the chain in one hand and the staff in the other.

 

"Good luck!" she shouted loudly, bowing her head before turning to face the swarm. "I'll do what I can to clear a path, understand?" W-Wait what? But what was wrong with fighting on the dragon right here?

 

"M-Mai," Katsuya started, Yugi following his gaze with wide eyes. The woman cut them off, sending the whips from her staff toward a close flying monster and ripping it to shreds as her harpies took hold of the ones following it.

 

"I told you," she cried loudly, turning back briefly as her Valkyrie skewered a particularly unlucky trio of monsters through with her staff. "We're friends! Just focus on getting there, I'll be fine! Only one of us needs to make it right?" she shouted loudly, the dragon she was riding on sending another wave of monsters out in a blaze. "Only one of us needs to win! So let me act as a distraction," the woman insisted, nailing her staff backward as a monster came too close. "Besides," she added with a wink. "It's just a game... I'll be fine!" Just a game...

 

Hah... But that was the thing, this wasn't...

 

He bit his lip, watching as the woman turned around to face the rest of the swarm. Mai...

 

Without another word the dragon that Katsuya and Yugi were on dived down, avoiding a blast of white flames from a long and snakelike dragon before the beast was dealt with by Mai's monsters. Katsuya pulled himself up from where he'd ducked down against Eri's head, looking up as Mai and the first wave slowly disappeared into the distance.

 

"Gh... Alright," he growled, pulling out his axe and looking around. They could all jump what... Twenty plus feet now? These monsters were probably swarming the field with nothing but ten or so to separate them! Alright... "My turn then!" he decided with a nod, twirling the axe in his hands before narrowing his eyes. "Yugi!" he shouted back, the boy turning from where he was waiting for his boomerang to return. "See you in a bit," he called, the boy tensing and running forward with wide eyes.

 

"W-What? ...Jonouchi-kun!" Without waiting for anything more of the answer the blond took off, charging off the tail end of the dragon at a running jump. He was falling... But as his axe shifted in his grip, he couldn't allow himself to be afraid of that, the blond instead grabbing hold of a nearby monster and ramming his axe blade deep into the beast's flesh. "Haaaaaah!" Blood spattered across his front as the monster gave a keening groan, Katsuya pulling himself off to kick its rider off the side before jumping off to grab another close flying monster. "Hah!" Alright...

 

Next ones! Wide green wings met his face from the Emerald Dragon and Katsuya grabbed the edge of the wing even as the monster struggled and growled. With out giving much more thought to the matter he pulled himself over the edge of the wing, running down the side with his axe as a 'ground rope' before doing to the dragon what he'd done to the enormous 'devil Zoa' before it. There was no rider on this beast, not now that it was spiralling up and down and left and...

 

Oh god he was going to be sick, he thought grimly, slamming his blade into the monster in an attempt to keep from falling. The dragon flailed as an axe made its way into its spine, the owner gripping the handle tight as he was pulled around by the beast. "Hwoah..." Oh shit this was even worse than... "WOAHH! Fuck!"

 

A sudden crack came through the air, axe coming free as one of Mai's harpies passed by. Gripping the blond by the arm, the harpy pulled away from the doomed beast, taking its cargo high and giving a seemingly incredulous snort as Katsuya looked up.

 

"Heh... I could've handled it..." The bird again snorted, giving the blond a look of sorts before violently tossing the teen toward a passing swarm of beasts. "W-W-W-WAIT T _HAT AIN'T WHAT I MEANT!_ " AAAAWWWWW Shit shit shit shit-

 

Reflexes!

 

Reflexes! The blond swung his axe forward, catching the next monster in the throat and launching himself off it's face before meeting with the toes of the next beast. "Hah! HAHAHA!" he shouted with a grin, flipping up onto the winged demon's beast and sabotaging its wings before charging off its good one toward the next monster. How were the others doing, he thought idly, slowly making his way toward the castle by means of the improvised 'stepping stones' he was making. They were getting closer and closer to the barrier of the castle. Launching himself off the pterosaur he'd paralyzed, the blond grabbed at the horn of a passing black dragon, riders quickly finding themselves in shreds to match the dragon's own already tattered condition. The blond looked up, gripping the dragon's horn as it seemingly ignored his presence. Everyone...

 

Mai was doing fine it looked like, having just cut through another series of monsters with the bladed whips and the aid of her dragon. So was Yugi he told himself as the boy sent his boomerang toward another trail before pulling out a card from his deck and summoning a series of blinding golden blades. And 'Eri', he noted with a nod. He looked back at the black dragon as Mai's harpies began to come back, hacking down at the beast's neck before looking back to the birds.

 

" _Come._.." Wwwwaaaait... ...Talking? He tilted his head, before quickly catching on as the monster below began to fall to pieces. Alright, whatever; there was no time to jump off that monster it looked like, so really, he'd live with the programmed talking monsters! Grabbing the Harpy's leg, he looked down at the disappearing corpse with wide eyes, axe dangling from his free hand as he stared. Now why had they...

 

He blinked, watching as they headed toward the giant stone ring around the castle. Oh hey. They were there. "Jonouchi!" Mai shouted from below, the harpy carrying him slowly bringing him down to meet the level of both the woman's dragon and the ring itself. "Get ready!" He nodded, looking forward as they came closer to the ring. Right. This was the moment they'd been going after, the barrier that surrounded the castle. Closer now... Closer...

 

They came in from the top, heading toward the ring only to shout as the barrier stung back against their forms. "G-Gh... N _HAAAA_!" He tightened his grip on the harpy's leg, coughing against the shock sustained. "What's goin' on!" he shouted as the harpy carrying him screeched, dropping him only for the blond to land on another monster. Even with the drop however he remained momentarily unphased, merely taking hold of the beast's horns for balance and turning upward again. "What th' _hell_ was that!"

 

"It's the ring!" Yugi's voice sounded from the side, the white dragon he was on growling angrily at it before coming in beside the blond. "It's the castle's ability, it creates a barrier..." Tch... He growled, before paling as a blast of flames shot forth from the ring. The dragon he was on didn't appear to notice, if it was noticing much of anything but... "Oh hell," he muttered, before jumping from the monster he was on toward another as the last burst into flames. The blond quickly punted the white dragon's rider off, grabbing the reigns it held and turning to the others. "Any ideas?" he called out, the others merely biting their lips at the question. Er...

 

That didn't seem good. ' _Forgive me,_ ' Eri called out with a low cry, left wing singed from the ring's attack, ' _But my power is not as it used to be... I will try and destroy it,'_ she continued as the others looked toward her. ' _But it won't be easy... Brace yourselves!_ ' she shouted, before charging a blast of light toward the ring as Kastuya was again picked up by one of Mai's harpies without warning. H-Hey, he was fine with the dragon, what was wrong with-

 

' _This is all I can do for you now,_ ' the dragon called sadly, Yugi's Dark Magician quickly pulling the boy back and ducking behind the dragon's more 'raised' scales despite clear discomfort. _'SHINING BURST STREAM!'_

 

With a resounding explosion the ring burst and cracked, blinding white light blasting clean through the dark circle within. For a moment there was no reaction. The device seemed to have merely absorbed the attack, still holding firm. And then a loud crumbling noise came through the air, the far edge of the ring cracking and falling to the side. The rest of it was quick to follow. Towers of stone fell to the ground, spearing monsters in its wake as the others pulled back somewhat to watch.

 

Katsuya stared, axe hanging from his hand as the castle began to sink against the now restored law of gravity in place. "H-Hah! Yeah!" They'd done it! "Th' barrier's-"

 

A rumbling filled the air, cutting the blond off as an odd feeling caused his hair to stand on end. Hang on he thought with a swallow, eyes widening as he looked toward the ring. What was that? From the still intact shadow and disk that once held the ring together came a vicious wind, before a wave of shadows swamped the sky. An enormous twister, a hurricane even, made of nothing but fire and shadows given form. Black flames filled his vision, shouts coming through the air as the harpy carrying him was destroyed in the blast instantly.

 

_'Jonouchi-kun,_ ' Yugi was shouting, nothing but darkness meeting his vision as gravity took hold. ' _Mai!_ ' In the distance he could hear Mai's dragon giving a pained roar, growls still filling the air to prove it was still alive. The dying shouts of a thousand other monsters were meeting his ears, each one cut off by the same darkness. Mai was shouting as well, but her voice seemed closer...

 

_'J-Jonouchi!_ ' Were his eyes open? The blond didn't know, but he knew that...

 

He was falling...

 

_'JONOUCHI!_ ' He knew at least that much from the feeling, but he couldn't see anything, not even his own hands...

 

Not the axe he was holding...

 

Falling... Sailing through the air, and suddenly...

 

"Ghn!" With a soft thump the blond's body hit the ground, his eyes closing over only for no difference in the scenery to come. Dark...

 

Just... Dark...

 

* * *

 

"Kgh! Gah!"

 

What happened?

 

"Kh-knh, kah! Aha... Hah... hah..." Yugi coughed as he pulled himself out from the rubble on the ground, pushing a large rock past his face and weakly pulling himself out from the debris. "G-G-Gn..."

 

Choking on his breath he opened his eyes, blinking a number of times in an attempt to clear his vision. Where...

 

Darkness sat over the sky like a thick blanket, making it impossible to tell if this was a cloudless sky or a completely covered one. Flames of varying hues caught along either the corpses of monsters or trees around him, bathing the ground in an eerie and almost ethereal light. In the distance, the castle was falling to the ground. For the most part as he pulled himself up all he could see was the enormous structure vanishing past the treeline far ahead of him, listening as a distant crash filled the air.

 

The boy winced, turning away as a wave of dirt and wind blew past his face, giving another bought of coughs before turning despite the blast of wind flying at his face. "Gh..." The others... He blinked the dust from his eyes, arm coming back down as the air cleared. Where were the others? "J... Jonouchi-kun!" he shouted, looking around as he received no answer. Where...

 

He stumbled forward, rubbing his arm as he looked around. Felt broken. How was he moving it though?

 

He shook it off, taking a few steps forward and swallowing. "...Mai!" he shouted on, eyes wide as a breeze passed. "Anyone?" Where was everyone... The boy grew pale, arms falling to his sides as silence continued to preside over the air. Did... Did the explosion... Did they...

 

' _G...Gk..._ ' Yugi's eyes widened as a small grunt came through the air, the boy turning as a massive pile of rubble at the side began to shift. He rushed forward, watching as Eri slowly un-curled beneath the pile with a low and miserable keen.

 

"E-Eri-san!" he shouted, running over to the dragon as it moved its head weakly. "Eri-san..!" The dragon turned its head weakly, mouth opening soundlessly as its eyes began to flicker. He tripped over the stone rubble, pushing a few blocks to the side in an attempt to reach the monster's head. "Eri-san..."

 

Dying... He didn't know how, but...

 

' _Aibou,'_ his other self whispered, the link having held strong for the entire game. Yugi swallowed as a wash of worry from his other self came over him, sliding down the small crater created by the dragon's impact. _'...She's dying..._ ' Another sad keen came through the air, Yugi staring with wide eyes as he knelt by the monster's massive head. The monster gave a weak cough, somehow managing to pull her head up.

 

' _Gh... F-f-forgive me,great hero,'_ she rasped, almost as though it had heard the boy's darker half speak. The low moan continued to hang in the air as it spoke, mouth hanging just slightly open as it looked down at the boy before it. ' _It would appear... I can go no further..._ '

 

"N-No..." This couldn't... This couldn't be happening, it couldn't... He shook his head, swallowing as he attempted to find something to say. "E-Eri-san..." Another cough came through the air, the dragon shaking her head.

 

_'I've done my duty.._.' Eri continued to attempt to hold her head above the ground, staring into the boy's eyes despite the evident pain she was in. ' _But please... You must listen_ ,' she forced out, head landing softly on the ground with a small thump. Yugi swallowed, looking at the dragon's eyes as it stared forward from the ground, enormous size still leaving them at eye level with the other. _'The prophecy,'_ she whispered quietly, rasping for breath. ' _It's... Incomplete_ ,' she hissed, giving a racking cough.

 

"E-Eri-san," Yugi said with wide eyes, reaching out only for the dragon to pull back somewhat. He swallowed, pulling his hand back somewhat hesitantly before looking to his deck. "Don't talk... I... There should be a spell card I can use," he said almost frantically, reaching for the deck only for his hand to go through it. He paled, before thinking back to the cards he'd drawn during his fight earlier. "Just hang on... I... I have to have something..!"

 

She shook her head, giving a low growl before moving the boy's hand from his deck lightly with her muzzle. ' _There is no card... That can fix this_ ,' she rasped, eyes closing somewhat as they continued to dim. The boy stared, shaking somewhat as the dragon again shifted from beneath the wreckage surrounding them. ' _My time is over... But you can still fight...'_ But so could she couldn't she? She... She couldn't die, she couldn't-

 

' _Listen carefully_ ,' the dragon begged, mouth hanging open as she took ragged breaths. ' _When the third power of dragons unites with that of the third power of warriors_ ,' it choked, the boy before her standing in silent horror, ' _The strongest of unions will be formed... By the third power they will stand, and by the third power they will fight... By the third power,_ ' she continued on, ' _They will face the face of darkness and they will succeed..._ ' Eri took a long, rasping breath, coughing again as she slumped to the ground completely, rubble on top of her shifting and falling to the ground in her wake. ' _Young hero... I have complete faith in you,_ ' she whispered, voice fading to the wind along with the light in her eyes. _'I believe that you and those with you will survive through this... And that our lands will be saved... So I say to you, good luck,_ ' she whispered quietly, turning her head to the side and closing her mouth as her eyes finally lost the blue light completely. ' _Great warrior..._ ' No...

 

"N-Nnn... Eri-san," he whispered, staring at the head as fires cracked around them. He moved forward, 'shaking' the metal head in desperation. "Eri-san!" No answer...

 

He swallowed, shaking his head and pulling back with wide eyes. No... This was a giant metal dragon, likely built with Kaiba's own dragon in mind! The monster who destroyed the ring around the Castle of Illusions, causing it to plummet to the ground in an instant, after wreaking havoc on countless monsters! If she didn't make it...

 

If even she was dead, then what did that mean for the others?

 

"...Jonouchi-kun," he whispered, tears running down his face at the thought. "Mai... Both of them..." An equally fearful feeling came from the connection of minds he held, his darker half almost seeming to place a nervous hand on his shoulder. ' _...Aibou..._ ' They... They could be dead...

 

Yugi swallowed, looking down at the white dragon's corpse and falling to his knees. Dead, completely...

 

The other Yugi seemed to tense with those thoughts, his presence growing just as nervous and fearful as the boy himself in the back of his mind. ' _...Aibou_ ,' he repeated, Yugi staring at the ground in silence as tears continued to fall. ' _..._ ' Did they have the same thoughts on this..? On this so called 'game'? What kind of people made a game where 'game over' was really 'game over'? Where each strike of the blade could clearly reap a bleeding wound that was detailed with all the work of an actual corpse? Where the player's injuries were as well detailed with equal precision?

 

As dark clouds continued to swirl around him, the boy hung his head, arms held limp at his sides in the again silent and burning wood. What... What kind of game was this?

 

* * *

 

Someone was calling him...

 

' _Jonouchi..._ '

 

The blond however didn't respond, unable to find the strength to move.

 

Nggggghhhh... God his head hurt... ' _...Jonouchi...'_ Who the hell was talking, his head felt like it was on fire damn it...

 

Though he had to say, that voice sounded familiar...

 

' _Jonouchi, wake up..._ '

 

"G... Ngh..." Katsuya groaned, slowly opening his eyes to look up as his vision slowly clearing. The sky was completely black and coated with clouds. Hell, it could have been a clear night sky for all he knew. But the fires surrounding the area more than lit up the area, and in that light he could slowly make out Mai's face before his vision faded once again.

 

"Damn it Jonouchi," the woman above said with a frown, lightly shaking his shoulder and forcing the blond awake again. "Wake _up_! Come on!" Ow, alright...

 

He groaned again, sitting up and rubbing his head where the helm still sat somehow. "Gh..." God, felt like he'd broken every bone in his body... A glance at his lifepoint counter said he probably had as well. "Nggh... Sheesh, what hit me..."

 

Mai sighed, shaking her head and pulling back to stand up. She seemed rather tense, if not in shock about everything. Not really something he should be surprised about he guessed, rubbing his shoulder absently. "The Harpie's Pet Dragon would be one thing," she said somewhat wryly, looking over at where a visible outline in the ground amid the rubble could be seen. It looked as though a small crater had turned up in the dragon's wake when it landed.

 

As to what else happened, it was left to his imagination.

 

Mai helped Katsuya to his feet, looking around the thick piles of rubble that scattered the forest clearing with a frown. Bones could be seen in some piles. Rocks in another... "Pretty much every other monster in the sky would be the other things..." Yeah... That looked about right. Mai bit her lip, looking at the younger blond as her friend steadied himself and pulled himself to his feet. "I was getting worried... When we crashed," she said quietly, "I had the dragon break most of the fall... But you still hit the ground hard, and for a while you weren't breathing..."

 

He swallowed, looking at the woman. The dragon broke the f- Wait... Wasn't...

 

He wasn't breathing?

 

Katsuya brought a hand to his throat for a moment, shaking his head. Holy shit... That was close. Wait...

 

"Wait... If that's what happened t' me," he said nervously, before looking around them with wide eyes as the fires around them continued to burn. "What about Yugi..?" The woman paled, looking around the area as well with those words. That's right... What happened to him?

 

"I... I don't know," she said somewhat quietly, stepping forward and continuing to look around as her staff hung limply in her hands. "I lost sight of Eri in the explosion... And when we crashed, I was more concerned with trying to make sure you hadn't been crushed... Or worse," she added with a nervous swallow, turning away and biting her lip.

 

"Well then we gotta find 'm," he said somewhat nervously frowning as he looked at the woman beside him. "I mean, 'f I was passed out that bad, what could happen t' him?" He walked forward, almost running as he clambered over a nearby pile of rocks and continued looking around. They had to be able to find him right? Maybe from up there... "There's no way t' tell what happened," he muttered with a swallow, pulling himself up to the top of the rubble pile and continuing. "If... If he's gone then..."

 

Mai followed behind, still biting her lip as she shook her head. "I'm... I'm sure that Eri-san wouldn't let that happen," she said with an almost equally nervous tone, climbing up the stones behind Katsuya. "He can't be far... I'm sure he-" The woman froze, looking to the side as Katsuya followed her gaze. "He's not..."

 

Over there, was that...

 

"...Far..." The two hurried over without another word, half running half walking lest they end up falling flat on their face amid the piles of rocks. "Yugi," Katsuya shouted, running over to where the boy was sitting on his knees. He was alright! He was... Erm... "Y-Yugi!" he continued, before stopping a few feet behind the boy, Mai stopping as well. He wasn't moving...

 

Just staring down at what looked to be the motionless body of the Shining Dragon, hands held limp at his side. The bladed boomerang was still strapped to the boy's back, and as a breeze passed the woods fell silent once more.

 

"...Yugi," he said quietly, Mai as well looking on in silence. Something felt... Different about the air around them at the moment. Tenser, more severe... Like before a match, or a game.

 

"...Jonouchi," the boy finally said, Katsuya standing stiff as he recognized the confident and possibly cold tone of the 'other Yugi'. "...Mai," he continued, slowly turning around from the dragon's corpse to look at them with a narrowed stare. "...Let's finish this game."

 


	7. Azrael's Hand

_-BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP_

 

It was the only sound that could ever possibly have both of them freeze like that. A single, long, and crying tone that rang about the room with a haunting peal. Honda and Anzu had only barely been paying attention to what was on the screens for the past few moments to say the least; most of their energy was being spent with holding the barrier on the door, and there had been no sound or sign that anything was the matter. They'd been doing fine hadn't they? Cutting through the monsters in the skies, in a way that almost seemed worthy of movies...

 

And then it all ended.

 

The screens went black, the 'battle theme' music cut short, and all they could see were sprites 'falling' through the air at top speed. And as the figures hit the ground, each one earning its own little cutscene, that one sound began in moments.

 

Yugi's sprite was moving within just a few seconds, pulling himself from a deep and rubble filled hole with what looked to be a buried white dragon just behind him. Mai's sprite was as well awake, dispelling the form of her large 'pet dragon' before apparently stumbling to her feet. In the dragon's absence, they could see the now motionless sprite beside her. A sprite with a draconic helm and an axe at his side...

 

Oh god... "Jonouchi..." Honda swallowed, eyes wide with horror as he and Anzu stared at the screen. The sprite was completely motionless. There wasn't even the 'twitch' that the standard standing one gave, where the figure would shift somewhat second to second. They couldn't see his face.

 

But they could hear the echoing, reverberating and constant tone of the heart monitor in the computer. "He can't..." Again he swallowed, shaking his head as they stared. "He can't be..." Not...

 

Dead? Honda bit his lip, looking down at the ground and clenching his fists. No. No no _no,_ god damn it all n-

 

_Beep_

 

The pair jumped, staring at the screen despite being jostled by the continuing pounding on the door behind them. "...That was..." Honda looked over at Anzu, the woman changing her words around as she stared. "That's..."

 

_-Beep_

 

That was a heart rate... Honda broke into a grin, turning to Anzu as the woman did the same. The long tonal cry was stopped, starting up into a regular, steady heart rate that went...

 

_-B-beep- -B-beep- -B-beep-_...

 

"HAHA!" The teen pumped a fist into the air, ignoring the constant pounding behind them. "YES! YEAH!"

 

Anzu laughed somewhat, shaking her head as Honda shouted beside her zealously.

 

"They aren't out of the game yet! Whoo!" But god damn if he did that again...

 

Heh... Now he knew how the guy felt during Death-T he guessed. Anzu sighed, grin fading to a small smile. "Got that right," she said with a relieved tone, before biting her lip and turning back to the screen. The sprites were now moving. Was it just them, or did Yugi's have the 'other Yugi's streaks in his hair now? Eyes seemed sharper too...

 

...Huh... They shook the thoughts from mind, continuing to stare. "I just hope that luck lasts..."

 

"Yeah," Honda said with a swallow, nodding his head. "Me too..."

 

* * *

 

The forest's flames had died down rather quickly once they began moving once again. Despite the clearly flammable foliage around them, the fires seemed to be content with staying put. And as trees rose high around them, the trio passing the through the same piles of debris that Katsuya and Mai had been buried in, the darkness settled in all too fast. Shadows stood out from every side, the wind occasionally brushing past the branches alongside them. And in the darkness around them, there was no telling what could happen. "Sheesh," Katsuya muttered with a swallow, looking around them as they passed through the dark path through the woods. Cobwebs the size of subway cards could be seen dimly hanging above, hives of presumably sleeping insects off to the size.

 

Hihhhhh giant bugs...

 

"'F all th' places for us t' fall in..." The blond was answered mostly with silence, Yugi walking steadily ahead as the pair behind him shared a glance. Finding Eri dead had been... Disturbing, to say the least. Even with the knowledge that the personality was nothing but a computer code, that the dragon had only been a creation of pixels for a video game it was still haunting.

 

Something that had most of them fairly quiet for obvious reasons. "The castle landed a little to the north," Mai was saying, attempting to break the silence around them as she gripped her staff. "Yugi?" she began, Katsuya coming up beside her. It was too quiet...

 

"...Yugi," he said with a frown, the boy not answering. ...Damn it... This really sucked. "We won' let her sacrifice mean nothin', alrigh'?"

 

Yugi turned somewhat, nodding before looking ahead. "I know," he said somewhat plainly, moving on down the path. "...How far do you think the castle is from here?" he asked, Mai frowning somewhat before closing her eyes in thought. A little bit to the North wasn't much to go on. And since everyone else only saw a wave of dirt flying their way at the time...

 

"Judging by the shadow in the distance," she said after a few moments, opening her eyes again to look at the others, "I would say it'll be a fifteen minute walk at the most. We aren't far," she added with a nod, adjusting her grip on her staff. "But I wouldn't say we're out of the clear yet..." Yeah...

 

But they were getting close then weren't they? Katsuya gripped his weapon tightly, the sound of their feet crunching the ground echoing about the air. Stones and pebbles clacked underfoot, the air sitting thickly around them without movement. He could hear something else though. Constant buzzing, like a swarm of cicada in the middle of the summer...

 

_'nrrrrwhrrrr nrrrwhrrrr nrrrwhrrr....'_

 

The blond frowned, looking around somewhat nervously as the buzzing continued. Was it getting louder or...

 

What, where was it coming from...

 

' _nrrrrwhrrrr nrrrwhrrrr nrrrwhrrr nrrrrwhrrrr nrrrwhrrrr nrrrwhrrr'..._

 

"The hell is that noise?" he finally muttered, eyes narrowing as he looked up at the trees above them.

 

_'NRRRWHRRR NRRRWHRRR NRRRWHRRRR_ '

 

Seriously, the hell! The other two stopped, looking around as well as the noise increased even further in volume. "...It sounds almost like... A swarm of locusts," Mai said with a swallow, eyes wide as the sound of beating wings came along with the noise. Locusts?

 

The buzzing increased still more, all three looking toward the north with wide eyes as the source of the sound became visible. "Insects," Yugi said with a frown, reaching for his deck as what looked to be a large cloud began to develop and move toward them. They could see the details of each one's form, the wings, the eyes, the mandibles... "Flying Mantis, Dragonfly, Bladefly..." Stop naming them, stop naming them _stop naming them_..!

 

"So _hell_ is that noise then," Katsuya said with a somewhat sarcastic tremor, watching as the monsters began moving closer at top speed. "Great," he growled, drawing his card only to wince and watch it vanish. "Any ideas on how to take down a swarm this big?" he asked, holding his axe out nervously. "Y'know... B'fore it pulls a 'Return 'f the Mummy' on us?"

 

Mai shook her head, pulling her staff forward and taking a stance with a swallow. "No," she admitted, staring down the swarm as it flew toward them. "But given the looks of the cargo those things have, I'm pretty sure summoning monsters would be a bad idea..." Cargo? Bad idea? He squinted, before paling as a number of Man-Eater bugs growled from the backs of the mutant looking dragonflies in the distance. Those things looked fairly vicious.

 

Particularly when they jumped to the ground and started running toward them. "Awwwww shi-" The blond was quickly thrown back by a charging insect, axe driving into the bug's skull in question as the monsters swarmed. "GOH!"

 

_'NRRRWHHRRR NRRRWHRRRR NRRRWHRR NRRRRWHRRRR'_

 

Katsuya swung his axe, flailing against the man-eater bug as it snarled in his face.

 

_'NRRRWHHRRR NRRRWHRRRR NRRRWHRRR NRRRRWHRRRR_ '

 

He pushed the monster off as the axe in his hands dug into its neck, turning as a second wave struck him from all sides. Damn it... Damn it, he couldn't even see past his face! "Agggghh!" Katsuya swung the axe blindly, slowly being pushed down by the wave with a growl. "Where th' hell are they all coming from!" The buzzing continued to pound through the air, physically throwing them back under the pressure. He didn't get an answer to his question, but he did like the next few words he heard.

 

"Mirror Force," Yugi calmly shouted from the side as the monsters swarmed, the card in his hand vanishing into a clear and crystal like dust. The powder blasted forward, forming an immense shield around them as the monsters within instantly burned into ashes. Light swirled about them, rising up the moment the following wave of insects hit to do the same in response. In a chain reaction the destruction spread. Loud screeches filled the air as the bugs were pushed back, rebounding along each other and crashing down into the trees. The bladeflies were gone, the man-eater bugs, the dragonflies... The mantises, the blazewing butterflies...

 

Waaaaaiiit...

 

_The Blazewing Butterfli-_

 

Katsuya blinked as the flaming butterflies tore into the trees, setting the forest ablaze in moments as they died in their own attacks. "Er..." The blond swallowed as the flames continued to spread, the entire field bathed in reds and golds within seconds. "...That's one way t' do it," he said blankly, before Mai helped the younger blond to his feet as the shield dispersed. "Sheesh," he muttered with a laugh, hanging his axe back on his back. "I thought we were bug food f'r a sec there..." He looked around, paling at the now brilliantly lit sky as shadows appeared in the air. H-Hang on... "What the hell," he said nervously, eyes wide as he watched the shadows rise and clear before them. "They're still alive?!"

 

"No," Mai shouted with a swallow, gripping her staff tightly as the monsters in the distance unfurled their wings. "Those are Greater Moths..! We don't have time to fight that many," she continued, looking to the trees ahead on the path. "The fire will block our path by the time we're done... We'll be trapped..!"

 

Yugi narrowed his eyes with those words, before drawing a card with a scowl. "Then we'll finish this quickly," he stated, holding the card forward as two others materialized in his hand. He held the cards forward in an almost fan-like formation, staring at the monsters with narrowed eyes. "Catapult Turtle," he called loudly, the first card vanishing to form the familiar mechanized tortoise on the side. The monster slowly lowered its metal head, taking a steady grip on the ground as it readied its catapult. "Kuriboh," he continued, the small furry ball with eyes appearing on the catapult lift and giving a light 'kuriii' as it looked around.

 

"O-Oi," Katsuya muttered with a nervous laugh, staring at the small monster as it continued its small cry. "Kuriboh..?" Seriously? There was no answer, the catapult firing toward the swarm of moths in an instant as the third card was summoned into existence behind it. "And lastly... MULTIPLY!"

 

From one Kuriboh came two as the catapult turtle behind them vanished into rusted scraps of metal, two becoming four, becoming eight within milliseconds as the Kuriboh continued to charge toward the moths with wicked grins.

 

"Let's go!" Yugi shouted, running beneath the swarm of Kuriboh as the fires began to topple the trees around. The monsters above began collapsing into the flames below, tree branches falling behind the three as they ran down the path. Burning limbs were either blocking their way or blocking their escape, creating a constant maze as the three dodged about the charred wood falling to the ground. The trio ran, Katsuya holding his hands somewhat above his head in defense as he ducked under another pile of burning brush, shutting his eyes and wincing against the heat. Come on...

 

Somehow their clothes weren't on fire, somehow... They had to almost be through with this, come on...

 

"There," Mai shouted, pointing toward a distant clearing through the arch of trees. Something was visible out there. A shadow of sorts, jutting out of the sand... "The castle!" It was indeed the castle they realized, bolting forward with renewed speed as it came within their sights. They charged past the arch of trees, skidding to the ground and looking back with labored breaths as the forest in question literally collapsed on itself behind them. Sparks flew past their faces as they stared, smoke filling the skies behind them and stinging their lungs.

 

"Shit," Katsuya muttered, laughing somewhat as he realized what cause a majority of the latter half of the flames. There were no moths in the air now, that was for sure. "Man Yugi... R'mind me t' never underest'mate Kuriboh ever again..." Yugi smirked, nodding in silence as they turned and moved toward the ruined castle.

 

Despite falling from an impossible height the building was almost completely intact, at least from the outside. Even the courtyard entrance was still in place, albeit lopsided thanks to the angled position the castle held. It looked as though a crater had formed around the castle at one point, however in some weird... Relapse he supposed, the dirt had piled back, still leaving a path through the archway and into the courtyard.

 

All in all it looked more as though the building had always been built there and had fallen to thousands of years of ruin, rather than a few moments of collapse from the skies above.

 

"Well," Mai muttered under her breath as they walked through, onyx stone and charred garden decor meeting their eyes. "It's certainly 'black'..." It certainly was. Black leaves on the trees, equally dark stone gargoyles surrounding them... The woman looked forward, before tensing up and stopping in her tracks. "...Hold on," she said with a frown, pulling the boys back with her hands as her eyes narrowed. The boys turned, blinking and frowning somewhat in response.

 

"Eh? What th' heck is i-"

 

"Shh..." Shhh? What? Mai frowned, taking a small step forward after letting go of the other two and tapping the ground with her staff. A loud crumbling sound came over the air, the woman and the boys both jumping back as an immense trap hole opened up before them within moments. "Hn! Well," she muttered, shaking her head and leaning on her staff. "Isn't that a warm welcome," she said with wide eyes, the others staring in silence. Er... Yeah...

 

...Good thing she knew what to look for..? Katsuya leaned over the edge, shaking his head and pulling back with an audible swallow. "Sheesh," he muttered with wide eyes, stumbling back somewhat. "That thing's gotta be at leas' fifty meters down..."

 

"Actually," came a rather smug sounding voice from below, the three looking forward as a monster rose up from the hole to hover in place. "It's a hundred..." A... A hundred feet! Wasn't that a little overkill..?

 

And hang on-!

 

The three watched as the woman hovered before them, black-violet hair appearing to furl behind her as the others slowly drew their weapons or cards. The witch before them smirked, a series of cards appearing in her hand as she smirked. "Would you like to check?" No... No they wouldn't... The three narrowed their eyes, Yugi pulling a card from his deck only to allow it to mist into his hand with a slight grimace. Evidently it was a bad draw for once. He dropped the expression, before pulling off the boomerang on his back and looking forward.

 

"...'Hibikime'," he muttered, the pale skinned witch twirling a scythe in her free hand. Hibikime? 'Noisy Lady'?

 

...As in the one who supposedly destroyed opponents by screaming at them? Hibikime smirked darkly, still hovering in place as she tossed three cards forward. "A good guess," the woman said with a sneer, cards evaporating to form thick clouds of black dust in the air. Trios of golden eyes opened from the dust, the clouds slowly materializing to reveal large and snarling sangan before them. Katsuya swallowed, narrowed eyes faltering for a moment as he stepped back. Ah hell. Sangan didn't look nearly this threatening on a duel table, that was for sure. Not when they weren't the size of small horses. "But you know," the witch drawled as her targets backed away somewhat, a grin still in place, "I don't think I'll be fighting for now... How about you play with my pets instead," she said with a giggle, moving back from above the hole to stand by the door with crossed arms. "A warning though," she said as she released the leashes that held the sangan in place from her free hand. "They can be really rough..." He bet.

 

Instantly the sangan snarled, lunging forward as the three before them threw their weapons up in defense. Shit shit shit things this 'weak' should not be this 'big'! Yugi ducked the first one as it leaped toward him, tossing the boomerang toward it before it could retaliate. Within a single moment the monster was ripped into two, boomerang spinning around through the air as the fight commenced.

 

Catching it as a second jumped at him however, Yugi found himself watching as the monster was torn into shreds, ribbons of flesh and bone falling to the ground. Mai winked as the monster's torn body faded from existence, pulling her whips back and turning to watch for other attacks. So far so good... So far-

 

...Damn. It was only as Katsuya pulled his blade out from the third one's corpse, the monster's three eyes resembling a messy and bloody pancake, that he spotted it. The witch had something in her hand... "Gh- Shit!" Across from them Hibikime growled, a fourth card in hand as she looked over the corpses of her 'pets'.

 

"Oh," the woman muttered as she tossed it upward. "You know this card then," she snarled, 'Call of the Haunted' hovering just above her as she took a step forward. "Good. Because it's the last thing you're going to se-"

 

_-BROUM!_

 

A sudden, thundering explosion came through the air, the castle behind the witch cracking into large car-sized slabs of stone. Chunks of rock fell to the ground, Katsuya and the others winced as a sickening squelch came through the air, Hibikime's blinding scream of terror cut horribly short as she was crushed beneath the ruins. Stones continued to fall atop the wreckage as dust filled the air, the others coughing in an attempt to clear it before looking up. The curtain was thick, and nearly impossible to see through- but something within it seemed almost familiar...

 

"H-Hey," Katsuya began, squinting for a moment before grinning. That shadow... "Ah! Se-"

 

"Kaiba!" Yugi called out with wide eyes, watching as the woman slid off the side of her horse-sized dragon to walk through the clearing dust with a frown. She was alright! "Then, Mokuba is-"

 

There was a laugh from above, a second Blue-Eyes landing atop the rubble as Mokuba slid off to run over as well. "Hahaha! Katsuya-nii!" the boy shouted, bounding down the stones as the dragons stretched out for a break. "Yugi, Mai!" He grinned, arms crossed as the others slowly came over to where he stopped. "Heheheee... Took you three long enough," he said with a laugh, Katsuya shaking his head.

 

"Hah! Would've helped t' know you were doin' this," he said, shaking his head before looking at Seto. She seemed alright... As she ever was at least. Er... "Oi," he muttered, voice softening somewhat as the woman turned to him with her usual narrowed stare. "Seto- Er... Kaiba," he corrected after Seto in question sent a dangerous glare his way at the sound. "Y' alright? 'Sides any obvious things..." Like being stuck in a floating castle and such...

 

The woman merely snorted, arms crossed as she leaned back against her dragon as the monster in question lay on its back and yawned. "Trust me mutt," she growled almost testily, "I don't need someone like you to worry about me..." Sheesh! He scowled, slinging his axe back into place.

 

Well 'excuse him' then! "Tch! Jus' askin'," he muttered, shaking his head. Across from him Mokuba gave a slight shrug, the argument apparently nothing new to say the least. "Y' sure though?" he added quietly, swallowing somewhat. "I mean, y' don't look too good," the blond continued with a shrug, before tensing as the woman narrowed her eyes.

 

"As I said," she growled, still leaning somewhat against her dragon's arms. "I don't need your help." Mokuba sighed, shaking his head at the slight, half-hearted bickering.

 

"Is this really the time?" he muttered, Mai merely giving him a somewhat sympathetic smile in response.

 

It was about then that Kaiba apparently 'noticed' Mai actually, the woman looking the older blond over with a seemingly incredulous stare. "...What is she doing here," she finally said, growing rather pale for a reason beyond the others.

 

Again her brother sighed, shaking his head. "I told you nee-sama, Mai is the other beta-tester..." He looked over at the woman, somehow holding his rather casual posture as his sister 'glared' at the boy. "And before you say anything," he continued with a small frown, "Mai found things out on her own as well, right?" he asked, looking to the woman in question.

 

Mai nodded rather furiously, bowing her head somewhat in response. "That's right," she quickly said in Katsuya's defense, the younger blond currently shifting awkwardly under the still steady glare. "Er... You don't need to worry about anything though," she added with a cough, laughing somewhat nervously as the glare was almost instantly turned on her. "Your secret is completely safe, it was a complete twist of fate that I found out actually!" Er...

 

That was one way to put it. There was no answer, save a muttered " _I'll bet”_ , as the younger woman momentarily sent the narrowed stare toward a cringing Katsuya.

 

Awwwww, come on, it really wasn't his fault... Mostly. Er...

 

The woman across from him adjusted her grip on her arms as Mai coughed, pulling a few strands of hair behind her ear. "Well," she said somewhat nervously before putting the staff back in the sling around her shoulders. "In any case... I suppose it's nice to meet you in person Kaiba..." Seto appeared to twitch somewhat at the attempts at conversation, Mai merely going on with another awkward cough as she looked away briefly. "Ah..."

 

Yeah, that was about what he felt every time they sat down for a meal.

 

"Hn... I have to say," she muttered with a genuine tone, crossing her arms somewhat as she looked back. "You look very good in those robes..." Seto again 'twitched', glare intensifying as she moved her arm again. Hey, not like they weren't telling the truth! Though he'd probably get beaned in the face if he said it himself. And...

 

Now hang on, he thought with a frown, watching as Seto continued to glare. The way she was moving her hand to her sword looked more like she was hid... Ing... "Holy _shit_ ," Katsuya said with a swallow, eyes growing wide as he finally spotted the tips of the woman's right fingers. There was no skin, no flesh... "What the hell happened to yer hand!"

 

The woman tensed somewhat, her brother looking at the limb in question before choking as well. "Are... Is that bone?!" he asked incredulously, Seto wincing slightly as she pulled her hand back and out of her brother's sight.

 

As the woman held her wrist however, it was fairly clear that yes... It was bone, along with charred tendons however that worked; shouldn't those have snapped back against her palm or something? (S-Seriously, was she alright!) The others stared, the woman becoming visibly incensed by the attention.

 

"N-Nee-sama," Mokuba said with a swallow. "...Is all of your arm..?" He steeled himself, looking at his sister with slightly less wide eyes as the woman looked over the limb in question. "...Nee-sama... Show me your arm," he asked, frown on his face. Silence. It wasn't like Seto had to listen right? And yet Mokuba's stare seemed to have that effect of getting the woman to just go along with things, provided they weren't too serious.

 

A few moments later and there was a groaning sigh, Seto looking down before roughly pulling off the gauntlet and pulling back her sleeve as the others held back their earlier virtual feast. Even Seto looked a little pale when the sleeve was pulled back...

 

And he wasn't surprised about why. "Holy shit," Katsuya muttered once again, ignoring the 'stop staring' glare that he was receiving at the moment. It was...Was... "How th' hell are you still moving that thing..?" The arm in question, which was now quickly being covered up again, was about the colour of a badly cooked steak. Anything that wasn't black was a dark, angry red in colour, and while it was only the fingertips that had revealed bone, with a few bits of skin still clinging to the upper arm, the sight was truly nauseating.

 

Seto merely glared in response to the question however, roughly pulling the straps of her gauntlet back in place with a slightly greener look. Guess it was worse than she'd expected. "...Nee-sama," Mokuba said as the woman did this, his sister looking down with a slightly softer gaze in response. A lot worse. "How did this..." Happen?

 

Seto continued to look at her brother, tightening the last of the straps on her gauntlet to the point where in the real world circulation would likely have been cut off. "I was restrained with ropes before," she muttered, staring somewhat absently at her fingertips before bringing them back down to the sword handle. "This isn't the first time I've escaped..."

 

"No," an echoing and rumbling voice from above called out, the others pulling back with wide eyes as the rest of the castle began to collapse. They hurried out from the courtyard as it continued to crumble, turning back to watch the entire structure become nothing but a pile of crushed stone and powder. The five looked up at the 'sky', swallowing as the dark clouds above began to swirl and part, an immense gold scaled dragon with five growling heads appeared. Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Dark... The heads bared their teeth, rumbling voice continuing through the air as the beast hovered before them. "But it will certainly be your last!"

 

The sound of a sword being drawn met their ears as Seto pulled her blade free, eyes narrowed dangerously while the others pulled their weapons out as well. The dragon was landing, coming to stand on all fours... The ground crumbled beneath the monster's feet, each head giving a monstrous roar as those behind the woman ducked under the blast, gusts of violent wind blowing from the pressure of its wings. This was it.

 

The 'final boss'. The 'Five God Dragon'...

 

"Gh... I thought this thing was s'posed t' only show up if th' sacrifice went through!" Katsuya muttered, eyes wide as he looked at the monster. Huge... It was huge, how the hell were they supposed to fight this thing...

 

"H-Hah... You didn't think that the Big 5 would think of that loophole?" Mokuba asked incredulously, the blond merely shrugging as he continued to stare forward with wide eyes. Well... Yeah?

 

"It was worth a shot," he found himself saying, pulling himself up against the wind. There was a whooshing sound in the air, the others turning back momentarily as Yugi threw the boomerang forward to meet the dragon's necks.

 

"Regardless," he said seriously, drawing a card and visibly scowling at his result. "This is the last step before the end of the game... We need to attack!"

 

Seto snorted, drawing a card nonetheless before pulling herself back on Blue-Eyes as the card vanished. "Hn! Is that an order?" she growled, Yugi merely giving the woman a light glare in response. "I don't need you idiots to tell me how to fight. Blue-Eyes!" she called, the second dragon turning to her as the dragon behind them dodged the boomerang the first time around. The monster's heads were long and snakelike, apparently acting just as flexible given that each of Mai's whips had been avoided thus far. She hadn't summoned anything though.

 

If this thing destroyed them after all...

 

"You're with Mokuba," Seto told the dragon, before taking off into the air as it gave a nod.

 

"O-O-Oi," Katsuya shouted, pulling out his axe and running forward on the rubble as the woman took off. "What th' hell's wrong with makin' a plan first!" Granted he was one to talk, but even so.

 

There was no answer as they watched the first Blue-Eyes shoot a jet of white hot flames toward their opponent, eyes widening as the necks abruptly split down to the tail to avoid it. The Blue-Eyes as well appeared to tense, Seto only momentarily halting her assault as the beast repaired itself from it's snake-like state to reform a snarling dragon.

 

"Er..." He blinked, the others staring over the beast with wide eyes as it continued to rage before them. "That was new..."

 

The others ran past him, the blond stumbling somewhat before Mai turned back. "Just focus on the fight!" she shouted, card appearing in her hand as she summoned her own dragon. The red scaled beast growled with anticipation as its master climbed on, pulling the chain leash taut and joining the fray. "It can't be too much more difficult than before can it?" There was a loud and rumbling roar from above as Seto narrowly dodged a blast of fire and water at the same moment, Katsuya scratching his head while Yugi and Mokuba also charged forward. Yeah because his axe was going to do great. He was still going to try of course but...

 

"Er... I don' think that th' 'Boss' is gonna be too..." Easy... Since it was a boss...

 

"Jonouchi!" Yugi shouted from the side as he threw his boomerang forward once again. "Look out!" The blond looked up, before he and Mai tore off in opposite directions to avoid a blast of mire from the center head. The poisonous fluid burned through the ground, Katsuya swallowing as he scrambled away from the spot.

 

"Gh- Shit!" he shouted, pulling himself up before running forward with his axe, tripping across the ground as he ducked under a blast of flames. "How th' hell do we beat this thing?"

 

"Good question!" As Mokuba attempted to strike down the monster with his swords they watched, Yugi's boomerang finally hitting the mark and cutting through one of the monster's heads. "I think Yugi's got it though," the boy shouted, the dragon he was on narrowly avoiding a jet of boiling water from one of the dragons.

 

The 'dark' head was gone now. However it was only a momentary victory; as shadows spewed from the bleeding head, the others watched in horror as the limb in question began to re-heal in a wash of shadows, a new head arising within mere moments.

 

"W-What!" Mokuba shouted, the dragons above both growling in confusion as well.

 

"Gh... It's not real!" Seto shouted in apparent rage, gripping her sword and turning toward the end of the monster. "Blue-Eyes," she ordered, the dragon she sat on responding with a roar. There was some sort of 'void' at the end of the monster... Did she see it? In a swift motion the pair charged, the two flying directly through the dragon as they headed down for the tail.

 

Apparently so. Katsuya again rolled out of the way of a blast of mire and flames, looking forward as Seto cut through what was seemingly thin air, the woman jumping from the back of her dragon to bring the blade down in a sweeping arc. For a moment there was nothing but a flash. And suddenly, a blood curdling scream sounded through the air, blood dripping from Seto's blade.

 

"GN _YAAAAAAAAAAAHHH_!" The blond winced, freezing with the others as a wave of energy pushed them all back to slam each of them against the ground. "RY _HAAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA_!"

 

Katsuya plugged his ears, watching as Seto was tossed back against the wall with Blue-Eyes. "Gh- What th' hell did you do!?" he shouted, the woman in question sending a glare to him as the others cringed against the earsplitting cries.

 

"What does it look like I did Mutt?" She grit her teeth, stabbing her sword into the ground and pulling herself up before looking forward against the still moving wave of shadows. "I revealed our actual opponent!" Actual opponent? The others looked toward where Seto had struck, watching as the 'Five-GodDragon' vanished into a flurry of shadows. The dragon again split into five 'snakes', but rather than reforming they extended outward and lengthened into hair thin strings of varying colours. Red, blue, gold, black, silver...

 

A small girl appeared to scream from the center of it all, colours appearing to bleed from her form as she screeched. Finally however she slumped forward, the whips and strings in the air falling to the ground as its wielder stumbled on her feet. "H-Hang on," Katsuya muttered with a frown, shaking his head as he pulled himself up to his feet. No way... "We're fightin' a little kid?" The figure before them slowly lifted her head, golden eyes narrowed dangerously against darkened skin and white hair. That face. That was...

 

"That's no child," Mai hissed from the side, her eyes widening as a dangerous and inhuman grin appeared on what looked almost like a colour-swapped version of the queen. A 'glascows grin', moving beyond the cheeks to reveal rows and rows of razor sharp teeth. This was...

 

"That's..."

 

"Heh _ehehehee..._ " Dark chuckling filled the air as the girl moved her head, tilting it to the side and staring the crowd down with a frightening grin. "You found me out," it hissed lowly, hands gripping what looked to be a long, five-bladed whip. The 'dragon'. Huh... "How interesting..." Interesting didn't cover it! The group tensed, eyes narrowing as the monster continued with a grin. Fires were sparking from one of the whip's cords... Ice stung the ground from another, shadows seeping from the one beside it as an earthen one remained 'normal' beside its eerily floating 'twin'. "You think you're so smart?" the monster spat, bare and clawed feet padding across the ground where she stood."Sabotaging our great master's return..." The dragon then? Hahaha... Yeaaah...

 

The whip cracked loudly against the ground, a stream of five elements blasting forward at the five. In an instant the girl flipped back to avoid a preemptive strike from Yugi and Mokuba both, the others dodging the whip's blasts with ease as they charged as well. The two boys glowered, looking up as the 'small child' grinned menacingly from a seemingly hovering position.

 

"I'll show you to interfere with our plans! In the place of my God, I will fight for him!" Oh great, multi-stage boss! They continued to tense, Katsuya growling as he clenched his axe to duck under a line of frost headed his way.

 

"Gh... What th' hell kind of duel monster is this s'pposed t' be!" he muttered, eyes narrowed as he blocked a strike from the only 'normal' whip with a wince.

 

"It isn't," Seto spat, the grip on her sword tightening as Blue-Eyes stood beside her. She muttered something under her breath, before tossing a wave of fire toward the monster from her blade. "Those bastards created a 'second line'... Instead of facing off their precious 'Five-God-Dragon', we're stuck with this sorry excuse for a monster!"

 

Er, something told him the monster heard that... There was a growl from across the field, the whip again cracking against the ground to release a wave of five different 'elements' of sorts. Stones rose high in the earthen whip's wake, the air itself splitting before it's cousin. Fires singed the edge of their armor, only to freeze against that of the 'water' head. As for darkness...

 

...Ow. "You're calling me WEAK?!" the monster roared, eyes widening before she held a hand in front of her. Mokuba and Yugi both paled, the three behind them momentarily stopping their advance as a beam of light appeared to charge before it. "Then try THIS!" she roared, the two boys quickly flying back. The pair both screamed, landing to the ground with a thud before pulling themselves up with a groan. Even behind the two and in the opposite direction Katsuya found himself stumbling back, wincing against the force of the monster's anger.

 

Gh... "Blue-Eyes!" Seto commanded, charging toward the monster as the dragon joined her. "Take Mokuba," she continued, sword gripped tight as Katsuya followed behind. With a nod the dragon flew off, joining with its sibling at Mokuba's side as the others continued to charge. The witch ahead of them merely laughed as the woman attempted to cut her through with her sword, dodging with near lightning speed before turning the whip on her.

 

Instead of dodging however Seto grit her teeth, pulling back as the five blades wrapped around her blade. The whips were pulled taut, flames of ice, fire, and shadows all blazing across the steel as the woman held firm. The owner of the whip however, was still far out of reach.

 

"Medea!" Mai shouted, the dragon responding to what was apparently its name. A fierce roar was given in answer, the monster watching its master jump from its back to point it forward. "Go!" The dragon nodded, leaving its master with the groaning Yugi and Mokuba to join Seto in the fray. The monster hovered alongside Katsuya, as though waiting for a moment before the blond turned to it and paused. Eh...? What? There was a low growl, the monster shifting to drop its leash downward.

 

Heh... ...Right! The blond hopped on, axe in hand as they charged toward where the 'tug-of-war' was currently going on. "Oiii, Seto-chan!" he shouted, receiving a wide and murderous glare for his efforts as he hovered above the two battling women. "Need a hand?"

 

"Hn! Even if I did," she grunted, still pulling at the sword to tighten the grip on the whip cords even more, "You would be the last person I would ever ask!" Well, at least she would ask then... The woman continued to growl, before taking a large breath in as the dragon Katsuya stood on reeled back. "Tch... **FIRE!** " she roared, voice echoing across the plain as the whips were set ablaze. The flames caught in an instant, ripping down the cords as they would a stream of gasoline before reaching the wielder's hand.

 

The witch screeched, dropping the whip and leaping back into the air as shadows melted from the ground where the weapon sat. It was vanishing now, evaporating into the air...

 

"Tch! Just give up already," Seto muttered under her breath, those behind her making their way back up the pile of rubble to join her. Rather than 'listen' however the witch merely hovered in the air before them, eyes wide with rage. Colourless flames appeared to emanate off the beast's form, wisping through the air as she gave a low growl. Hang on now... Something seemed a little off.

 

"I don't think we're even close to finishing," Yugi muttered with narrowed eyes, moving to his deck and drawing a card with a frown. Oh hell, if he was allowed to do that...

 

The card vanished into his hand, the boy looking forward and gripping his boomerang tight. "Not nearly close..." Mai swallowed, looking back to the sky as her dragon landed to let Katsuya down and return to its master. The monster before them was grinning. "I think that's putting it lightly," she finally said quietly, the witch before them cackling madly.

 

"Hehehehehe... Hehehe..." Stop laughing, pleaaaaase..."Hahaha... HAHA _HAHAHAHA_!" The witch began to grow and stretch, features distorting as loose armor appeared over body and gown. Claws extended from bony and twisted limbs, the glascow's grin still prominent on her face. "This is almost fun," she said with a cackle, eyes widening to a crazed state. "I think I'm going to enjoy this," she continued darkly, before a sick, ripping noise sounded through the air. "Gnnn... Ghnnnaaa... RHAA _AAAAAAAHHH!_ " The five paled as the witch screamed, four 'tentacles' if they could be called that bursting from her back.

 

Long and writhing they formed, pulling the demon further above them into the air as they reached the size of the 'Five-God-Dragon's heads easily. A long bladed tail followed, the monster grinning insanely at them as each 'tentacle' formed into a separate 'head' of sorts along with the tail itself. Fire and water took the top two. Earth and darkness took the bottom. And a bladed metal 'head' took the tail, blasting wind toward them as the others stared.

 

"What the FUCK!" Katsuya shouted with wide eyes, the monster before them grinning darkly as the transformation completed itself. "What the hell is THAT!?" he roared, before charging off to the side as the cackling demon sent a pillar of flames toward where he'd been standing. The fires burned into the ground itself, Katsuya looking at the spot with wide eyes before turning to the others.

 

"I don't know!" Mokuba was shouting, the two Blue-Eyes both blasting off a wave of white fire toward the beast's wings with no luck as the boy crouched down for cover, "But I don't think I even want to know," he continued, the group mostly scattering in the onslaught of attacks.

 

Katsuya looked up at the demon, gritting his teeth as it pounded its earthen head toward a quickly fleeing Seto before receiving a slice from the woman's blade for its efforts. "Where th' hell are we supposed t' attack this thing?" he muttered angrily, feeling largely useless thanks to being 'grounded' by his weapon. "Everything they're throwin' is bouncin' off th' wings!"

 

Indeed, everything that struck the 'heads' was simply causing no visible damage. From Seto's blasts of fire to Yugi's boomerang nothing was making contact that seemed to legitimately cause damage, Mai herself narrowly avoiding being destroyed in a blast of razor-wind as she steered her own dragon clear of the attack.

 

"Gh... Nothing's working!" she shouted down, ducking another blast of flames as the demon cackled. "We need a new idea..!"

 

"Hehehehehe... Of course nothing's working," the demon roared, rising further above the group and higher into the air above with a mighty beat of its 'wings'. "I am the vessel of my lord and God, the embodiment of the darkness itself! You fools can't hope to stand against me!" it shouted insanely, head held high with laughter. Katsuya paled considerably as the demon's four heads began to glow, the monster holding her arms out as a concentrated sphere of energy developed around her. Oh shit.

 

OKO attack coming through... "Ahhhh guys?" he shouted, Mokuba as well watching with wide eyes. The others looked up mid-attack, their own eyes wide as well as they looked toward the monster's form. "I think we outta ru-"

 

_-BRMMMMM_!

 

In a blast of light the five were thrown back, dragons growling against the attack as they stumbled to their feet. Blinding light filled the air as dust and rubble pounded against them, the blond shaking his head as he pulled himself up. "Ghn! Ahng..." Katsuya coughed as he looked up, frowning as he saw no trace of her in the sky. W-Wait, don't tell him it was invisible too! "Th- She's..."

 

"Ghk... Katsuya-nii," Mokuba said with wide eyes, looking at the blond before turning toward the center of the field. Those closer had been blasted past even himself and Mokuba. But now... "This is our chance!" The teen turned, before nodding and charging forward with the boy.

 

"Right!" he called as the demon's fallen form came into view, the dragon heads all momentarily collapsed around the seemingly unconscious monster. "Haaaaaaahhhh-"

 

"Grrr _rrrreeeeeeeehhhh_..." Oh shit.

 

The collapsed demon opened her eyes, looking directly up at the blond as he swung his axe forward. Dragon's heads rose from the ground turning on the blond with wide and gaping mouths as attacks began to build. Oh shit shit _shit shit shi_ -

 

"R _HEEEEEEEEEEEE!_ "

 

-s _qlch!_

 

Katsuya took heavy breaths as he dropped his axe, the disemboweled monster choking violently before falling back to slump on the four dragon heads that made up its body. The heads charged attacks quickly backfired, falling to the ground as Katsuya as well fell to his knees. Sightless eyes stared upward as he scrambled back, still breathing heavily as he looked at the corpse before him. That...

 

That was close... That was...

 

"H-Hihhhhhh..."

 

"Please tell me that you aren't afraid of a corpse," Seto said from behind the blond, Katsuya in question jumping at the voice before growling.

 

"Gh... I ain't afraid!" he snarled, pulling his axe from the ground and scowling before turning back to the body on the ground and shuddering. "'S jus' disgustin', that's all..."

 

Mokuba sighed, rubbing his head and coming between the two as the others came over to join them. "Can't you guys not argue for a while..?"

 

...No.

 

The two merely continued to glare at each other, eliciting a groan from the boy as a breeze passed. "Augggggghhhh..."

 

The other two shook their heads, Yugi looking around with narrowed eyes as he ignored the silent argument going on before them. "Strange," he muttered, boomerang still gripped tightly in his hands. "That seems a little... Anti-climatic..."

 

"Personally," Mai said with a sigh, "I could care less about how 'disappointing' the ending is, so long as the game _ends_ ," she continued with a small smirk, looking at the others as Mokuba continued to rub his head. The woman brushed a bit of hair back again, frowning. "You're right though," she said after a moment, the others turning in question. "Something feels..."

 

"Hnhnhn _hnhnhnhn..._ " Chuckling came from the corpse at their feet, Katsuya stumbling back as Seto calmly moved to the side to avoid being run over by the blond. The corpse's neck gave a sickening crack as it turned its head upward, the others staring as it continued to laugh. Oh hell that didn't sound good. "Hnhahahahaha... _You fools think that this is the end,_ " the monster spat, apparently not completely dead for the moment despite no longer having a waist or legs. "That defeating me means you're all scott free..?"

 

...That didn't sound like the boss...

 

The low chuckling continued, the scenery around them abruptly vanishing into showers of pixels around them. Mountains in the distance went first, followed by the trees as they all joined the dark clouds above to fuse into a pure black 'room'. "Not so fast, Ojou-sama..."

 

O-Ojou-

 

The others quickly paled to a ghost white shade as the demon's voice mutated into a mix of familiar sounds they'd heard outside in the real world, the term visibly causing Seto to tense with rage. Those were the voices of the board of directors. The realm continued to pixelate, wide eyes watching as within moments they were left in a black field, the ground itself vanishing from beneath them. To the front the corpse before them vanished into nothing but a fading kanji for 'ryuu', the mark sinking into the ground before them. This mark...

 

'Dragon'?

 

"Hnhnhnhnhn... Did you think it would be that easy?" Oshita called over the air, Seto narrowing her eyes. "That we'd simply let you 'win' the game and leave?" ...Yes?

 

"You five," Seto spat, eyes narrowed as she stormed past the others to look up into the darkness they were now hovering in. Despite the lack of visuals she continued to look up to where the voice had come, posture tense with rage. "Your game is over!" the woman roared angrily, grip on her sword tightening as the Blue-Eyes White Dragons behind her growled in agreement. "The 'Five-God-Dragon failed to arise, and its servant was killed in its place. You LOSE!" she continued with a shout, cloak on her shoulders billowing in a non-existent wind. Her voice echoed around the 'room', the woman not even bothering to disguise the tones as she normally would.

 

They'd said 'ojou' after all.

 

It was fairly clear that they knew. The chuckling continued from above, Oshita joined by the other four members of the big five. In the distance, the suited forms appeared, smirks on each of the men's faces as they hovered in space. "Oh do we?" Oka said rather smugly, adjusting his glasses and crossing his arms. "You see, you seem to be quite mistaken... 'Ojousama'..." Seto audibly growled at the term, the others merely watching as the 'Big Five' stood before them. "You see, in this realm, we are the gods..."

 

"And you, the 'players'," Otaki continued, frowning somewhat from his somewhat slouched stance, "Are nothing but points of code for us to manipulate. True," he said with a slightly deeper frown, "We can't directly influence your actions, or your thoughts... But this game doesn't end until one or the other happens... Either you defeat the 'Five-God-Dragon'," he called, a large and snarling beast forming out of pixels as he spoke.

 

"Or you all die by its hands," Daimon continued, dark grin still somehow visible behind the crouching and growling dragon as it slowly materialized into existence. "I have to say," he continued darkly, shaking his head as the 'dark' head on the dragon did the same. “You really had us going..." Eh?

 

What did he mean by that? The others of the Big 5 nodded, their targets simply standing in silence.

 

"Our programming was flawless," Ota hissed, appearing to seethe before them. Compared to the others in fact, he was... Almost demonic. "Completely free of all error , and you overran it JUST LIKE THAT!" Oh hey... Um...

 

He was pissed...

 

The metal head on the far side growled with its 'corresponding board member', Ota continuing with a snarl. "It was specifically written... Movement would be impossible, Avoiding capture would be impossible, ESCAPE, WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE!" The men beside him seemed to cough somewhat awkwardly, the other four dragon heads reacting accordingly as Ota ranted on.

 

Scratch that, Ota had completely lost his temper.

 

"Height limit 6'1'', Weight limit 63 kilograms... Any male player below those limits would pass without fault in the game," he growled, Seto smirking rather smugly as she and the others connected the dots.

 

Any _male_ player eh?

 

"Hnhnhnhnhn... But I'm no 'male player', am I?" she said with an almost villainous smirk, for once appearing quite pleased that she'd been 'found out' so to speak. It was already fairly obvious that Seto was probably the only one anywhere near six feet. So really, if it hadn't been for that...

 

Oooohh, that had to sting. The five men glared, faces growing red as she continued on. "You wasted all those months, all of my time..." She looked over the the immense beast before her, eyes drifting back to the immense kanji at their feet. 'Dragon'... It didn't take much to figure that they'd have to fight only with dragons really. "And now you challenge me to a battle of Dragons above all of this? Hnhnhnhnhn... Hnhnahaha... AH _AHAHAHAHAHAHA!_ " Um.

 

The others drew back somewhat as Seto grinned darkly, the cloak still flowing back behind her as she stood. Aha... Was...

 

Was she alright?

 

"Your constant delays are beginning to make me sick," she spat, eyes narrowed as she drew a card and held it forward. Without even looking, it began to vanish as she summoned it, a silvery white trail of dust forming before her. "BLUE EYES WHITE DRAGON! " she roared, the monster appearing in a flurry of white scales from the dust, relatively small in size compared to the being before it. With a rumbling and menacing roar it cried, eyes narrowed dangerously at its opponents. The five before them merely leered however, slowly fading out into the background and from sight.

 

"I suppose we shouldn't have expected you to give in," Daimon said with a slight shrug, shaking his head. "But it doesn't matter... Enjoy your last moments on 'earth', if they can be called that..." With those words the dragon before them jumped into action, rearing on its hind legs and giving off a loud and impressive roar. Five heads suddenly shook with life, skyscraper sized wings beating against the air viciously in an intimidating manner.

 

"Blue-Eyes!" Seto ordered, the two standing by Mokuba turning at the command as their master jumped into action. "Take the left and right sides!" With a quick growl they nodded, Seto hopping onto her own now full-sized dragon and standing atop its head to prepare for battle. "And you," she added, looking down at the others while taking care not to group Mokuba in with the three. "Don't get in my way."

 

"Tch... OI! Seto-chan!" Katsuya shouted, gritting his teeth before pulling out his axe as the woman charged into battle against the enormous dragon. In moments she had charged into close combat with the 'dark' head, leaving him to shake his head in annoyance. "Damn it..." He turned to the others, Mai summoning her enormous red dragon into existence and drawing a card as the blond accessed his menu. Well... He had this back again at least.

 

"Looks like I'll be usin' that Red-Eyes y' gave me Yugi," he said with a grimace, pulling the card into existence and turning to his friend. The boy merely nodded, drawing his own card and tossing it forward to reveal 'Curse of Dragon' in a quick shower of white powder.

 

"I can't think of a better time," he said with a smile, before pulling his boomerang forward and throwing it toward the dragon. It would be completely moronic to expect it to cut through one of the monster's heads.

 

But perhaps they could make it through the beast's fingers or claws, given the arc that the boomerang was taking. Yugi turned forward to pull himself onto Curse of Dragon's head, giving Katsuya an encouraging nod before taking off in an instant. Alright then...

 

His turn! "RED EYES BLACK DRAGON!" he shouted, the card he held going up into a sudden blaze as the smoke formed the familiar black scales of his dragon. The monster gave a menacing and echoing roar as it materialized, before crouching down to give its master a steady look. Katsuya turned back to Mokuba, blinking as Mai handed him a card with a wink. "Err.. What're y' doin'?" he asked, the Five-God-Dragon behind them momentarily occupied with taking pot-shots at the Blue-Eyes. It wouldn't be attacking them just yet...

 

Hopefully. Mokuba looked over the card in question, blinking before raising an eyebrow and looking at the woman in front of him. "It's not fair if you don't have a dragon as well," Mai said, grabbing the chain of her own dragon before flipping onto its back looking forward. "Besides, with the way your sister is acting..." she muttered under her breath before taking off. "It should take away from my lifepoints, so don't worry about how it works alright?"

 

Mokuba and Katsuya both shared a glance, the younger looking rather... Annoyed at the already evident fact of his older sister's 'distraction'. Seto did have three dragons... But really...

 

Katsuya merely shrugged, shaking his head at the look before Mokuba pulled out one of his swords with a sigh. Yeaaaaah... Something told him that with the people responsible for all the crap 'mostly' right in reach...

 

Seto was pretty much _un_ reachable in terms of all other common sense. Mokuba shook his head, holding the card out nonetheless to summon the monster into existence. "Harpie's Pet Baby

Dragon," he called out, the card evaporating into a light red mist to form a 'miniature' of the original 'pet dragon' before them. "Well," he said with a shrug as he climbed onto the somewhat large dragon, the beast giving a low snort in response as the boy took a rider's stance. "At least I won't end up fried right off the start right?"

 

The blond laughed, turning to the front with a nod. Now that was a better way of thinking! "Right!" He pulled himself onto Red-Eyes with a bit of difficulty, standing between the monster's spiked shoulders and holding onto the beast's spines before climbing toward the top. Thanks to the immense size, he could easily just stand on the monster's head...

 

He'd just settle with sitting between the horns though.

 

"Let's go!" he shouted loudly, the dragon rising into the air with a roar and charging forward with a blast of black flames. Mokuba followed behind, free hand gripping a wakizashi tightly as they aimed for the numerous heads before them. Alright... Time to start the pot-shots! "ATTACK!"

 

Shouts filled the air as they moved, multiple targets being decided on as they charged. It would be ridiculous to even think of beginning a conversation, let alone possibly starting one in the fray that ensued. Blades clashed and sparked against teeth, blasts of varying shades of flame collided against one another in a shower of sparks. Against the flaming head Yugi's boomerang did nothing, merely blasting through to the other side as the Blue-Eyes on the other end ducked beneath the weapon with an annoyed growl. The boy hurriedly dodged a strike with Curse of Dragon before trying to catch a different limb with the weapon as it returned, briefly wincing when the white hot metal singed his finger tips.

 

Firing blasts of white flames against the metal, robotic head resulted only in white hot and liquid metal coming back toward Seto in the meantime, the woman paling momentarily before she and her dragons fled from the blast of wind that followed behind with it. It was complete and utter chaos, the 'field' they were playing on. They were doing nothing but taking pot shots, and useless ones at that! But this was a dragon field.

 

And whatever other monster could face off against the enormous monster before them would have just as much luck as they were, thanks to the damn seal on the ground. All other monsters entered defense mode and became target fodder as Mai found out with her harpies, and no one was willing to waste lifepoints for a useless shield. Red-Eyes fired another blast of black flames at the earth-oriented head, its owner smirking as he gained a slight result. Perhaps the 'wind' and 'fire' heads were mostly immune... But against these ones... Reddening scales were what the blast resulted in, bits of skin slowly flaking off to the ground as a blast of acidic mire came their way.

 

The two dodged, Katsuya smirking as they took to the air above it and fired another blast of flames. "Heh! Take that!" he shouted loudly, laughing as they continued to fight. The earthen head merely glared up at the blond, before turning to the side with a growl. "Nh- Oi!" he growled, eyes narrowed as he stood up on his dragon's head. What the hell was it looking at... "I'm up here y' moron! O-"

 

Katsuya froze as he followed the dragon's gaze, before looking back at the monster and paling. Directly in its line of sight..."Oh no," he muttered under his breath, chuckling coming from above and behind the earthen head.

 

"Oh yes," Oshita said darkly, the golden dragon appearing to speak with it. No... No no _no no no_.

 

Opening its mouth wide, there was only so much time to react as the others turned to the voice as well. Only an instant... ' _Blue-Eyes!_ ' Seto shouted from the side, screaming for the dragons to block the attack that they could see charging before them. Mokuba turned from where he'd been fending off the teeth of the watery head, eyes widening with horror as a blast of what looked almost like pure molten flith came his way. No time...

 

Blue-Eyes could only fly so fast, and the watery head was pinning Mokuba to the ground. No time... There was no time!

 

"Red-eyes," he whispered, the dragon soaring downward despite the command having never been given. It knew what had to be done. There was no time to think after all...

 

No time, no time no...

 

He jumped, hurling himself off the front of the dragon, his axe clattering noiselessly to the ground...

 

And the blond fell forward, blast stopping the moment it came in contact with one of the players in battle. It stung... If only briefly. He could hear Mokuba screaming as he collapsed to the ground, Red-Eyes vanishing in the same mire that had been blasted at the blond. But while he couldn't feel anything...

 

Breathing was awful hard now. "G-Ghn... Ah... _Nngg..._ "

 

"K-Katsuya-nii!" Mokuba shouted, landing to the ground with his dragon as the others looked down. It was hard to see... As the mire cleared off his face he could at least see the boy running toward him though, before Mai came to the ground to pull him back as a blast of mire struck the ground once more. "KATSUYA-NII!" If he could see himself, there would be no holding back the contents of his stomach. He hadn't been struck down by 'lava', or even 'dirt'. It was the same mire as before, true, but there was an added sting.

 

Almost.

 

He couldn't feel anything. Not surprising, given that his legs were already dissolved to nothing. Hell, he'd have been surprised that his face was still in tact, the others sure were... He slowly looked up, coughing as Mokuba was restrained by an equally panicked Mai, the other two still buffered and pushed back by the dragon behind them. "Gh... Nk..." H-Heh...

 

Looking at his deck holder, his lifepoints were still there... Almost a full thousand sitting there, haha... But...

 

"T-This 's it," he coughed, pulling the device off with melting hands and shakily tossing it to Mokuba's feet. The device was magically untouched by the acidic sludge. "Ev'n w' th' points," he rasped, coughing violently as the sting of the sludge suddenly began to affect him. "I'd be pretty useless t' all 'f you... G... Kah-ah... hah... hah..."

 

Oh god, the pain was coming back with a vengeance now that he was tied down to 'mortality'... Mokuba shook his head, eyes welling up completely as he was held back. "N-No... Katsuya-nii," he forced out, swallowing as he and Mai both stared. "If you die in the game that means..." Yeah... "No..." He merely grinned sadly, nodding his head despite the pain. Yeah... Yeah, it meant he'd be gone...

 

But if they beat this thing, he might come back right? That was always a good thought. Hehehe...

 

"Y' gotta fair shot now," he rasped out, laughing weakly as he slumped to the ground completely. "Kick this thing's ass, alrigh'?" Again the boy shook his head, tears falling freely as he stopped fighting against Mai's grip. "No..." Sorry kid... "No don't..."

 

"What kind of sick, twisted 'game' is this!" Mai spat, looking up at the 'sky' with rage filled eyes as she held her grip on Mokuba. "What kind of MONSTERS are you!" she roared, tears running down her cheeks as well. "You expect CHILDREN to play this!"

 

Aw come on guys... Don't shout...

 

Don't...

 

"Well," Otaki was saying in the background, Yugi and Seto both doing all they could to fend the attacks off from the two who were still 'alive' despite the grim situation below. "There are a few _minor_ details we'll be removing before the game is released of course..." 'Minor'... That was one way to put it...

 

"You bastards," Mai spat, shaking her head and pulling herself onto the dragon beside her as Mokuba continued to stand by Katsuya's still melting body. "I can't believe I even started working for you complete monsters," she hissed, cards appearing in her hands as she stared down the dragon before her.

 

"Mai," Mokuba said shakily, turning to the woman as the dragon's wings spread wide with an earth shaking roar. "Mai, what are you..."

 

The last thing he saw before finally succumbing to the pain was the Harpie's Pet Dragon taking off into the air... And Mokuba's crying face as he whispered...

 

' _...Don't die..._ '

 


	8. Grimm's Advocate

It was all she could do when the voice came over head, as the earthen head charged a blast of poisonous mire and filth in its mouth.

 

"MOKUBA!"

 

She couldn't reach him from where she was. Seto snarled as the metal head continued to attempt to strike her down, narrowly avoiding the monster's jaws as it stood between her and her brother.

 

"MOKUBAAAA!" She couldn't reach him...

 

But Jonouchi could. Yugi as well as shouting, though what he was saying she could care less about. It was definitely concerning the blond. The one who was melting on the ground, resembling little more than a molten pile of...

 

Something, beneath the multiple blasts of filth he'd sustained. Yugi was definitely shouting about that, from where the shadowy head had him cornered in the sky. The 'death' of his friend... He wasn't dead though. She knew at least that much, the board had said it themselves; it was all or nothing, one or the other. And in a situation so 'hopeless', they wouldn't lie about that.

 

That didn't change how her brother felt about it though, that much was clear. They needed a new strategy. They needed... "Kaiba!" the boy shouted, Seto turning with narrowed eyes. "I think there's a way to defeat the dragon quickly," he said somewhat desperately, gripping the single horn of his dragon for balance as it swooped toward her. "But you need to listen..!" Tch...

 

Not. NOW. "I don't need you to tell me what to do Yugi!" she growled, the boy merely gritting his teeth in response. They were shouting down there. Mokuba was crying...

 

"Just listen!" he shouted loudly, the woman turning back to him with rage filled eyes. "There was a prophecy from one of the NPC's..." ...What. "'When the third power of dragons unites with the third power of warriors'..." ...And what the hell was that supposed to mean? "We need to team up," he continued, the woman across from him instantly tensing at the thought. Team up?

 

And do what, didn't this already count? This was as close as they were getting. If he was planning on calling all the attacks... "Like hell!" she spat, ducking below a blast of sharp stinging wind that nearly knocked her off the dragon's head. The woman turned back with narrowed eyes, the sounds of her brother's cries and 'Mai's shouts still piercing the air through the dragon's roars. "I can deal with things myself... I don't need your help to do so!" This was her problem, not theirs, and these assholes would be so much more than 'fired' when she was through with them. Death...

 

Would be merciful. The boy beside her moved to speak yet again, cards appearing in his hand before a sudden shout broke through the air.

 

"RAA _AAAAAAAAHHHHH_!" The two tensed completely, the heads of the dragon abruptly screeching in pain as Mai charged the monster with not one but four of her 'Pet Dragons' on her side. It was a final stand, a hell-bent charge with no holds barred. Something that had the dragon's complete attention, as well as their own.

 

It would have been difficult _not_ to pay attention even. Four dragons...

 

Four... "How the hell," she muttered, eyes wide. Limit three of the same card per deck, and even then there was no way that Mai would have that many of the 'Pet Dragon', the card was too expensive for someone of her level to purchase that many times over, so how...

 

How... Yugi's eyes widened from where the boy stood on his own dragon, swallowing. "'Multi-summoning,'" he muttered under his breath, the Five-God Dragon screeching as in one fell and combined swipe the dragons tore through the earthen head's throat. Blood spurted through the air, but Mai was not taking any time to relish in the small success. "Mai's a summoner," he said quietly, "She can call up any monster she's summoned previously, as many times as her life points allow... ...But with that many..."

 

She summoned the same monster four times.

 

That had to take out the life points. Even with that however... It was obvious that Mai couldn't care less for the moment, given her charge. The sheer power behind the attack was something to stare at, possibly even marvel at, even. The earthen head was torn to nothing but shreds and had long since clattered and dissolved on the ground. Mai's staff and whips knocked the shadowed and watery heads off her back seemingly without care at that same moment, before she turned the blades on the watery one's neck with a feral and vengeful roar. "HRAAAAA _AAAAAAAHH! AAAAAUUUUHHH_!"

 

Bladed whips tore into the 'flesh' of the water dragon's head, torrents of water striking down around her dragons and destroying them as she went. One dragon down. Two. Three...

 

And still she went on, even after she was left with only herself, the woman hopping from her steed's back to push the collapsing blue neck of the 'water head' toward the flaming one. The head toppled to the ground, passing through it in an instant... With none left but the flaming head she tore forward, still screaming with rage even as the monster snarled at her. The fire head was almost completely extinguished by the waters of its blue-coloured sibling, already flickering out as the woman charged it. In seconds however, as Mai broke through the flaming wall to wrap her whip around its spine and snap it off, it really was gone.

 

And as it fell to the ground, reduced to nothing but charred bone, Mai was following after.

 

"Mai!" Yugi shouted, the two remaining heads of the dragon staring incredulously as the boy flew forward on his dragon. "MAI!" Seconds...

 

Only seconds and three of five heads had been taken out.

 

She couldn't have done that sooner?!

 

"M-Mai!" Mokuba shouted, eyes wide as the woman burned away to nothingness before he could run over. Seto steered her Blue-Eyes out of the way of the metal head as it moved to strike again, finding herself hovering next to Yugi as they looked down at the second casualty. She was still alive somehow. Even with the steady and angered beep of her life-points meter as it reduced itself to zero, and from above, despite the distance, they could make the scene out clearly.

 

"Ghn... Ahhh... Ah _hhahh_..." They couldn't see most of her body through the flames. Somehow however, they could make out her face... "Gk... I... I wish I'd thought of that sooner," she said with a rasping laugh, before wincing with pain as the fires consumed her. "Hey... You make sure those two get their heads into gear," she continued to the boy in front of her, Mokuba standing stock still with wide eyes. Morons? Gh- "G-G... Good lu..." She couldn't even finish her last words...

 

Damn it. Damn it all! She clenched her fists, looking back toward the dragon with narrowed eyes. "Tch... We need a new strategy," she muttered under her breath, pulling her dragons back and out of reach of the two heads before dodging another blast of shadows and wind. Pot shots weren't working... And something told her that the 'rip and tear' method Mai had used wouldn't work quite so well against a head made of pure shadow or metal. The dragons pulled even further back from the bodies below, Yugi following with her as he gripped a pair of cards in his hand. The Five-God Dragon was following after them as they moved, creating a 'sandwich' of sorts between themselves and Mokuba. He'd be safer this way, with the dragon's attention on them only...

 

"Feral Imp," she heard Yugi mutter, the monster appearing at the side on the dragon as he turned to the woman. Slowly they were moving to land on the ground, the dragon before them tromping forward with a fearsome roar. "...Kaiba," he muttered, looking to the woman with narrowed eyes as the dragons dodged yet another blast of wind and shadows before continuing on their path to the ground. She needed to protect Mokuba. Yes the dragons had been targeting them, but if she was too far out of reach... The woman attempted to ignore her rival, only half listening as the boy continued. So long as they held this position... This would work. "You need to summon the Ultimate Dragon!" he shouted, the cards still gripped tightly in his hands. "..Summon the dragon!" he repeated more forcefully, Seto turning on the boy with a snarl.

 

"Are you ordering me?" she asked incredulously, teeth grinding as Blue-Eyes as well looked over with the closest thing they could get to a frown. She hopped off her dragon, looking up as the remaining heads of the dragons turned their way before looking back at Yugi. "Are you trying to 'force me' to summon my own dragons?" she spat, the boy growling in response. "Give me one good reason why I should listen to you!"

 

The boy continued to seethe, slipping off the head of his 'Curse of Dragon' to face the woman. "We don't have TIME for that," he shouted, face growing somewhat red as he stared his rival down. "Jonouchi is gone, Mai is gone... What more has to happen for you to just listen!" he demanded as Seto as well came to the ground, the woman's dragons circling around them protectively. "There's no time to argue-"

 

"No, there isn't!" she snarled, fists clenched as she glared at the boy. "So let me deal with this myself!"

 

There was no time, and so far, she was getting no good reason to summon something the size of a sky-scraper in design, and she was not loosing strategy and agility for a power that could still be beaten by this stupid hacked bug!

 

Again the boy growled, eyes narrowed. "Gh... Black Luster Ritual!" he shouted to the side, tossing a spell card forward as his dragon and imp both dissolved into a black powder. In seconds the black armored solider stood before them, crouched in a defensive position by the 'dragon's only' program in place. "Gh... You're impossible," Yugi continued, shaking his head incredulously. "I can't understand how Jonouchi can even stay under your roof for more than five minutes! We need the Ultimate Dragon, it's our only chance at this-"

 

"And if I do that," the woman countered viciously, "We'll be as good as sitting ducks! Blue-Eyes Ultimate would be too big, they would lose the agility they need for this battle! Stop trying to decide how I fight!" she snarled, the dragons around them shaking their heads with low growls as she continued to argue with the boy. "And live with it!"

 

"That's the problem! We can't live with it!" he shouted, attention completely set on the woman as they stood there. "If we don't use the Ultimate dragon, we're going to die! Open your eyes- Your dragons are most powerful when combined, just as the game's prophecy! We need to work with that, just summon-"

 

The game had also been programmed by five old cheating bastards..! "I said NO!"

 

"What's _wrong_ with you!" The pair turned as a shout came from the side, expressions momentarily frozen in the same rage they'd been feeling before they grew pale. Mokuba was standing at the Five God-Dragon's feet, a chain gripped tightly in his hands... With the dragon's back to him, they'd been open to his own attack after all.

 

And he had a deck now.

 

The chain trailed up toward the monster behind him, wrapped tightly around the maw of the metal dragon's head. Embedded in it's side a large steel 'boomerang' sat firm, the enormous beast writhing and struggling against the hold. "Both of you," he added with a growl, the two staring for a moment. What, both..?

 

Seto swallowed, stepping forward with a slight frown. "M... Mokuba!" she said with a slight shout, the boy merely holding his scowl. He couldn't come out here, he'd get...

 

He'd be... "They died for you!" the boy shouted, tears still running down his face as he gripped the chain tightly. 'Kunai with chain', where did he get that card... "We don't even know if they can come back!" That wasn't true though, that wasn't-

 

The dragon heads behind Mokuba were seemingly conversing with one another, blood still spurting from the torn necks of the other three. Why weren't they doing anything...

 

"And instead of fighting this thing, you're still arguing!" It wasn't like that, he wouldn't lis- "Nee-sama," he said with a choke, pulling on the chain in his hands before wrapping it around his waist and holding tight. "I don't know why you both have to hate each other so much... I just..." What was he doing...

 

What was he doing with that chain! "Mokuba," the woman said somewhat nervously, taking another step forward as Yugi merely stared in shocked silence. That thing was attached to a giant metal dragon, if it even moved wrong... "What are you..."

 

He gripped the chain tight, a sad smile on his face. "I'm sorry nee-sama," he said as the shadowed dragon head behind him began to charge up a blast, the dragons having made their decision. The woman moved to run forward, eyes wide as she was stopped by her own dragons in addition to Mokuba's own. Low growls came from their mouths and the woman was pinned by her own monsters, Yugi as well tossed back by the beasts. "At least this way there'll only be one left right?" No...

 

No!

 

The flames were released...

 

In a wave of darkness he was gone. The chain he was holding was violently pulled forward under the blast, the metal head at the side crushing under the chain's binding hold with a screech of metal. No... Scraps of metal clattered to the ground, leaving sparking wires and a stump of a neck in their place.

 

_No no no no-_ "Mokuba..." Seto stared with wide eyes as the attack ended, smoke filling the 'air' before them. "No..." The dragons moved to the side as she ran forward, the pile on the ground resembling nothing more than a puddle as she stood there. "No..." Gone... She fell to her knees, eyes wide as she shook her head. "MOKUBA!" Gone...

 

Gone...

 

"You bastards," she muttered under her breath, gripping the 'ground' in her fists. "You _MONSTERS_!" Her brother... They just killed...

 

"...Kaiba," Yugi said from behind the woman, the 'Five-God-Dragon' merely growling above them as it watched the small amount of chaos below. There was nothing left, nothing left of the boy... Just a pile of misting shadows. Not even a scrap of armor, not a single thing... "Stand up," her rival demanded, the woman gritting her teeth in response. Shut up... Just shut up! "Do you want his sacrifice, the sacrifice of the others to be in vain?" SHUT UP! "We need t-"

 

"... _Shut your mouth_..." It was probably the eerie, dead cold tone her voice had taken even in comparison to her 'fake' one, that quieted the one behind her.

 

Yugi fell silent as the woman pulled herself to her feet, card appearing in her hands as she dimly watched the four severed necks of the dragon before them fuse and heal into nothing but seemingly oversized shoulders. They weren't dead. Her brother wasn't dead! And the 'board' that were facing them now...

 

She looked up toward the dragon, jaw clenched tight as she shook. "...You... All of you," she hissed dangerously, the card vanishing with a single mental command to form a dusted vortex behind her. "Are going to know... Every soon... What 'death' feels like..." The vortex behind them continued to swirl, pulling in the dragons behind her within mere seconds. She didn't need to turn around to know that the enormous form of the Ultimate Dragon stood behind her now, forming from the clouds of the vortex herself. Nor did she need the constant beeping of her lifepoints bar to know that she was now on her last leg, Yugi even more so as he pulled out the card 'Copycat'.

 

...Polymerization again? But what monster could possibly exist that would combine with her Blue-Eyes?

 

A second portal opened behind them, pulling the dragon and Yugi's warrior in at the same moment. "When the third power of dragons unites with the third power of warriors," her rival repeated, Seto watching in enraged silence as the monster formed to an immense size behind them. "Black Luster Soldier," he shouted, gesturing forward as the dragon stood tall above them. "Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon... Become the ultimate being! THE _DRAGON MASTER KNIGHT_!" What?

 

The dragon heads gave a fearsome roar as a set of reigns appeared on their jaws, the knight on the middle one's neck gripping the reigns tightly. This fusion...

 

The woman stared with wide eyes, the monster above them rearing all heads at once with a mighty growl. Since when was there a monster that could... "You two are completely out of your mind," Daimon spat from above, voice seemingly coming through the mostly shadowed dragon above them. "Between the two of you, you barely have enough lifepoints to allow you to stand... That monster isn't even strong enough to defeat us, your situation is hopeless!" he roared, Seto merely looking up with dangerously narrowed eyes. Hopeless? Not even. And as for their Lifepoints...

 

Tch! The woman ripped off her deckholder, hurling it forward with narrowed eyes as the board member sputtered above them. "You think I'll allow my life to be tied to something so trivial?" she growled, fists clenched as she brought her arms back to her side. One shot. If they couldn't do this in one shot then they wouldn't have a chance at all. "Tch... I would rather live knowing I have one chance at life than rely on a counter strapped to my wrist!"

 

There was a second 'clattering' sound, Seto blinking with somewhat wide eyes as Yugi's deck holder was also tossed away. The boy looked at her with a determined nod, before bringing his arms to his sides as well. "We don't need lifepoints to win this battle," he said calmly, the dragon behind them giving an immense and ground breaking roar. "After all... 'When the Third Power of Dragons unites with the Third Power of Warriors'," the boy began, the woman beside him becoming rather sick of the 'prophecy' to say the least, "By the third power they will fight and by the third power they will succeed..."

 

Well, that last part sounded right at least. "'Big Five'," Seto growled, taking a step forward and looking up at the dragon. "...Wipe the backs of your necks and wait... You won't even have the 'honor' of destroying yourselves..." Spectres of sorts were appearing around them. Ghosts even, single coloured entities that appeared on all sides. The dragons that Mai had summoned, Red-Eyes, the baby Pet dragon... And even the destroyed heads from the dragon they were facing off against appeared with them, a chorus of battle cries and growls filling the air before they misted out of existence.

 

What was this... "Did you know?" Yugi said seriously, the Five-God-Dragon stepping back with a nervous growl. "For each dragon on the field and graveyard, the Dragon Knight gains five hundred attack points?" How the hell did he know that... How the hell did he even know about this monster? "Your 'Five-God-Dragon' already matches it in power... But with this?"

 

Four 'pet dragons', four individual dragon 'heads', red-eyes, the baby pet dragon...

 

...They had it with Mai. "Impossible," Daimon muttered, an audible swallow coming over the air. "It shouldn't be possible for this to happen," he continued with a roar, the shadowed dragon rearing back in fear. "It shouldn't-"

 

"Tch... Live with it," Seto growled angrily, pointing the dragon forward. It was there, and it was powerful, and this was over. "Now... Dragon Master Knight... ATTACK!"

 

"GALAXY CRUSHER!" Yugi roared at the same moment, an immense blast of white flames streaming toward the Five-God-Dragon. The blast filled their vision, white light and fires burning straight through the shadowed attack that its opponent attempted to send in defense. "It's over!" That it was...

 

There wasn't even time for a 'scream', the monster simply vanishing into flames completely.

 

Before the fires had time to die down, before the corpse of the 'Five-God-Dragon' could hit the ground her vision began to fade. The entire 'realm' fell dark, and in exhaustion the woman fell to her knees again before falling forward completely.

 

Nothing was happening. They'd defeated the dragon and nothing was happening. Mokuba was gone...

 

And she was falling.

 

Or at least it felt that way, she thought as she stared forward, eyes partially closed. She couldn't feel her body any more. Not the ground that she'd fallen to, not her arms and knees... Nor the armor she was wearing, the tightened gauntlets and boots, nor-

 

Seto frowned, pulling herself up to her feet with wide eyes as she looked around. Gone... She was in the same place that the game started at. The armor, the dragons, the cards, they were all gone.

 

The woman looked over her now restored arm, a bitter frown appearing on her face. Everything was gone, and she was back at the beginning. Was that it then? Was that all there was? A bloodied battle field that was reduced to nothing, leaving her floating in 'this'? Her hands clenched, the woman looking down into the darkness and trembling. Mokuba... "I have never felt a more _hollow_ victory," she spat, shaking in the darkness. Never...

 

"...I couldn't agree more," came Yugi's slightly depressed voice from behind, the woman turning with widened eyes to look at the boy's also misting, 'glowing' form. She wasn't in the mood to bother with things like modesty right now. All in all it was more like they were wearing full body suits the way this game had them appearing. The boy appeared to be purposely turned away from her the woman noted, still frowning somewhat as she turned to look at him.

 

And there was nothing but darkness...

 

And the grim fact that if she'd just summoned the damn dragon earlier none of this would have happened. Her brother would be there still... And the others as well, something that Mokuba would have preferred if he'd still been there.

 

But he wasn't.

 

A breeze passed the two, both turning as a sudden white light pierced the darkness. "Gh- What?" She shut her eyes, squinting in the light before they widened with a frown. This light... It resembled a smoke of sorts, while still shining brighter than any light she'd seen, or at least been able to see. "...This is..."

 

From a single, flowing white mist the monster appeared, an enormous white metal wyvern with diamonds embedded in its joints. White steel scales shimmered in a non-existent light, the monster standing tall before them. A white dragon. And blue eyes... "Eri," Yugi whispered, stepping forward with wide eyes.

 

"Eri?" Seto asked with a frown, eyes narrowed. The dragon was named Eri? ...Such a common name...

 

There was no response, the dragon merely bowing its head before them as it knelt down before them. " _I must thank you_ ," it said calmly, appearing to mist and ghost in a non-existent wind much like the other two before it. " _Both of you, great heroes..._ " 'Great heroes'? What? " _I am eternally grateful,_ " it continued, Seto merely steeling her gaze with a frown. And what did she care, if a computer program was 'grateful'? What did that accomplish at all? The dragon looked to her as she thought this, as though having gleaned the thoughts from the woman's mind. " _...All is not lost,_ " it insisted, misting into a white robed figure with steel hair ornaments across her ears. "There is still hope," it continued, smiling calmly as it continued to 'ghost' before them. This monster. This was...

 

"Gyakutenno Megami," she found herself muttering, eyes wide. "...The goddess of change..."

 

Yugi and Kaiba both stared, the woman merely bowing her head once more. "You've forgotten," the woman said softly, Seto jumping as her menu appeared before her at the moment a card came into 'Eri's hands. A single line vanished from the list, Seto's eyes widening as she looked toward the woman before them. "The game isn't over until the credits finish running..." That card...

 

The menu vanished, Eri smiling as a large green ankh appeared in her hands. She'd drawn that earlier. Monster reborn...

 

The ankh hovered forward into the air, a blinding light coming from it and forcing the woman to shut her eyes. The light intensified, and then, just as quickly as it came...

 

* * *

 

...It was gone. The light cleared to reveal the similarly misting forms of himself, Mokuba, Mai...

 

Katsuya frowned, blinking a few times as he came to. The light was gone. The dragon was gone, his armor was-

 

...Wait, were they all...

 

The blond looked down at himself, coughing as Mai did the same beside him. ...Huh. This was...

 

Awkward.

 

"Mokuba!" came a voice to the side, the three turning as Seto stared. Mokuba stood still only a moment before running forward, his sister holding him close before letting him down with a worried expression. "Mokuba I..."

 

The boy choked, looking over himself and the others before coughing again. "Um... This is kinda weird..." Yeah just a tad. Kinda killed the moment.

 

A little. (Not that Seto really seemed bothered by it all...)

 

Mai smirked from the side, shaking her head as she crossed her arms. "Just a little," she said with a light laugh, Yugi simply walking over with wide eyes. She and Katsuya both turned, watching as their friend stared in disbelief.

 

"You..." He shook his head, staring to the point where it seemed that if he blinked they would simply vanish from sight. "You're both..." Katsuya grinned, throwing an arm around the boy's shoulder with a laugh as their friend continued to stare. Awwwww what the hell, they were alive weren't they? Who cared how damn awkward all this was, nothing was really... There right?

 

"Hehehe... We're all fine!" he said with a cheer, still grinning as he pulled out of the 'hug'. "Heck, I feel better than when th' game first started!" That was probably because they couldn't feel anything here granted... But hey, still better than feeling like complete crap! Chuckling came from the side, the others watching as 'Eri' gestured to the side. A large opening appeared from a single line in the darkness, before widening into a large and gaping hole in the void. It was completely white. There was nothing they could see on the other end, nothing at all.

 

But somehow, he had a pretty damn good feeling about it. "I will say it again," the woman said calmly, eyes closed over. "I am eternally grateful to all of you..." The portal opened wider, and she continued from her bowed position with a smile. "This portal will take you back to your world... To your _reality_..." With those words she misted away, blinding white smoke being the last thing they saw from the woman. " _Good bye, great heroes..._ "

 

They were finally able to leave.

 

Seto took her brother's hand, looking down at the boy before walking over to it without a word. Now hang on...

 

"Y'know," Katsuya said from behind, the woman turning for a moment as the blond held a blank expression. "Wouldn't kill yah t' say 'thanks'..."

 

Silence settled for a moment before the woman snorted, shaking her head. "You needed me just as much, Mutt..." Well... He guessed so but- "There's nothing to thank you for," she continued, looking back to the portal with out another word.

 

Huh. She said that but... Some how it didn't feel like the tone was there.

 

Again the woman paused at the exit, standing for a few seconds as though in thought. "...Yugi," Seto said after a short moment, not looking back as the boy blinked. "...Did you always know about the 'Dragon Master Knight'," she asked, the others turning to Yugi with raised brows. 'Dragon Master Knight'?

 

What, was that how they'd won then? Yugi shrugged, smiling despite the fact that they all resembled smoking shades of their actual selves at the moment. "As long as you believe in it completely," he said calmly, "The cards will return the favor..." ...Heh? The others blinked, looking back at Seto in question as the boy continued. "...You believed that yourself, didn't you?" Believed in...

 

There was a span of silence, a wind seeming to pass them all before Seto appeared to nod. "Hn... Let's go Mokuba," she said quietly, the boy nodding in agreement. "...Mutt," she added as an after thought, Katsuya shaking his head with a small laugh in response.

 

"Haha... Def'nitely," he said with a smirk, Mai and Yugi following behind the two and walking into the portal. "Sure thing, Seto-chan..."

 

The portal flashed somewhat as the others entered, a breeze blowing past him in response.

 

" _Hn. Don't call me that,_ " a faded voice said, Katsuya walking toward the portal with a smile as the wind died down. It was all over...

 

All over. Except...

 

For one thing. He paused at the 'door', frowning somewhat.

 

Just one more thing... "...After I died," he said quietly, staring at the ground for a moment in the seemingly empty void around them. "...There w's nothin' but white... And a line 'f credits. I couldn' see anything," he continued, shaking his head. "Nothin'... And then you showed up," he said with a frown, turning around with narrowed eyes. Nothing but darkness faced him.

 

But he continued anyways.

 

"...Why did y' do that..?"

 

A small figure misted back into existence, the same 'dog' from before appearing within an instant. Black eyes and a masked face tilted to the side, the creature giving a mechanized laugh. "Hnhnhnhnhn... Who knows," he said humorously, wagging its tail. "I didn't think it would be fair to just watch people cheat like that... And it's no fun to play with those kinds of odds!" The laughter continued as the blond across from him stared, frowning somewhat. "We'll meet again, 'Katsuya-kun'," it said with a bark, eyes appearing to shine somewhat. "...Perhaps then, everything will make sense... Hnhnhnhnhn..."

 

It turned around, walking away and fading out of existence.

 

"Itterashai Katsuya-kun... We'll definitely meet again..."

 

The blond shuddered somewhat, shaking his head as he turned back. _'Itterashai_ '. Yeah...

 

...Guess he would... Whether he liked it or not.

 

Stepping through the portal, there was nothing but a blinding light... And as a grin came over his face he had to laugh. "Heh... Game over..."

 

* * *

 

"Ghnn... N _GHA!_ ...Aahhk... Ngh..." Seto clutched her right arm the moment she could move, biting back a second shout of pain as the VR pod hissed open. The metal pinning her down was long gone, the lights in the room almost blinding her as she cleared her vision, but god _damn_ it her arm...

 

She'd gotten too used to not having nerves in the burned arm of the game- and now those nerves were all too pleased to let her know that they existed.

 

"Ghnnng..." The woman pulled herself up, idly watching as an empty deck holder popped forward before looking around while the pain died down. At least it was only for an instant. Her legs were asleep as well though. "Agghh..." Numbing pain was filling her body but even so she threw it off, shaking her head. It would be gone given a few moments. The blood just needed to get flowing again, that was all. And there were more important things.

 

Mokuba... She had to see if he was alright. She-

 

Seto tensed, frowning as she moved toward the door to the next room and stopping. "...Hang on..." Something was off.

 

She looked to the side, narrowing her eyes and walking toward what looked to be a number pad. This pad... Even a moron would realize that this was going to open something. Given the slight line around the panelling here...

 

"A second door?" she muttered, almost growling with the realization. All along. Well... Something told her this explained the sudden appearance of the board.

 

Who now knew she was a woman she recalled with a scowl, jaw clenching shut. Shit. She'd have to fix things fast... Seto looked over the number pad, eye twitching somewhat. There was only one key that appeared to have been used, at least recently. And in addition to that, the five key was stuck... And completely faded. She tapped it a few times, watching the numbers appear on the small screen. 5, 5, 5... Still stuck. Hopefully there wasn't a lock-out timer. "Tch..." 5... 5...

 

_-sffffffffsssssss.._

 

Wait... That was the code?

 

"...Are they serious?" she muttered with a growl, watching as a door hissed open before her and swung into a darkened room. Five fives? Could they be anymore- "Aughh..." She shook her head, instead walking into the room and looking around with narrowed eyes. It was fairly expansive, with plenty of room for the hardware operating the devices there. Five pods...

 

Despite the tint she could quite clearly see through the glass, a sour expression coming on her face. So this was where those morons were hiding. Tch...

 

She moved to the main computer, watching as a timer reading '20:00:00' blinked on the screen. 19:00:54... 45... And beneath the timer the words 'Emergency Override'. A dark smirk appeared on her face, the woman turning to spot a headset of sorts on the side. "Hnnn..." She could always do this the hard way of course, hacking through the system to destroy the program and lock them in.

 

Or, she thought as she put on the headset, easily establishing a connection to the device, she could do it this way.

 

"Well," she said calmly, listening as the sputtered shouts of the Board came through the headset, the smirk darkening even further. "It seems you morons are sleeping in."

 

" _Gh- Seto-sama_ ," Oshita protested in a faded and crackled voice, before the woman turned the audio portion of the headset off. As if she wanted to hear their pathetic cries for mercy! She might have had to stand through it before, but with this...

 

Hnhnhnhnhn... "I don't have time to listen to you idiots whine," she growled, walking down the steps of the computer toward the pods. "You crossed the line... _Twice_ ," she added bitterly as the timer ticked behind her. 17 minutes. "And you can be certain that there are no 'second chances' from me... I keep my word," The woman continued, trailing a hand across the pods as she looked for the access point to the cables behind it. "What awaits you... Is something far, far worse than death..."

 

Seto's eyes narrowed as she moved around to the rear end of the room, stepping behind the pods to find a mess of cables. They all led to one thing however.

 

One thick, wrist-sized cluster that connected to each pod.

 

"As it was," she spat, "You could have easily gotten a job around the same level you already had rather than daring to test your luck with me." The woman shook her head, a mock sigh coming over the microphone as she stared at the cords with disdain. "Instead you bastards couldn't be bothered to let go. A big mistake," she whispered, stepping over the cables to the one furthest from her. " _Very_ big."

 

She wrapped a hand over one of the cables, the large, main cable that connected to Oshita's pod. "I'm holding onto one of the power cables for the VR pods," she said with a menacing tone, slowly clicking the safety lock out of place. "I told you before," Seto stated darkly, an eerily calm expression on her face. "I'm going to kill you for what you did. Slowly... And painfully... In a room that no one in the world knows about."

 

"This," she said with an eerie monotone, the timer behind her sending out an echoing warning of 'fifteen minutes' through the air, "Is for selling my company out to Pegasus. For clearing out my staff, and locking my brother out of what was rightfully his in the process."

 

The cord was pulled, the pod's lights dying down with a low droning sound before she dropped the cluster of wires to the ground with a thud. Seto stepped over the next few cords, calmly reaching for the next one. Oka. "This," she said calmly, twisting the cable and preparing to pull it, "Is for handing my brother over to a _maniac_ , and leaving him for dead." The second pod died down with an identical drone, the woman carefully taking care not to step on any live wires as she grabbed the next one tightly. "This is for wasting my time by building a game with no real point other than to kill myself and anyone else in it," she continued with a bitter hiss, the sounds of lights and computer processes dying down continuing through the air as she moved.

 

Ten minutes.

 

"This is for modelling the final boss off my _little brother_ , while making the only alternative a sacrifice of another with his face! And this!" Seto snarled, taking hold of Daimon's pod cable as unheard screams of terror came in the back of her mind, seemingly reverberating around the room as she made to finish what she started. "Is for even _thinking_ that you could come anywhere near my brother and my staff!"

 

With a final click the cable was wrenched from the pod, clattering to the ground as the sound echoed around the empty room. In silence, the woman moved back to the pillar in the center, opening the latch to the power-controls. "Enjoy hell," she spat, taking hold of the main switch and pulling it down. With a resounding drone and an instant 'click' he room went completely black, the woman pulling the headset from her ears and tossing it to the ground. The clattering echoed around the otherwise silent room, the woman standing there in the dark for a few moments.

 

They were dead. Worse than dead. Gone...

 

Seto walked out of the room, making sure to 'close' the door and cover the small number pad before an odd smile came over her face. The bastards were gone and she'd never see them again.

 

Good riddance.

 

* * *

 

The light was fading.

 

Fading away completely only to be replaced by something just as blinding. Katsuya groaned somewhat, slowly and blearily opening his eyes as the glass helm of the VR pod began to pull away. He tensed at the sudden change in light, shaking his head and groaning. "Nggh... What..."

 

" _He's waking up,_ " a voice called out, the sound of muttered shouts meeting his ears. " _Jonouchi,_ " the voice continued, Katsuya still blinking off the suddenly blinding light. Oh god, his eyes... " _Jonouchi_!" Ahhhhnnn who was th-

 

The blond blinked, suddenly sitting up as he realized where he was. That voice was Honda. So that meant... "W- Th... This 's..." Anzu rolled her eyes, shaking her head with a small smile as Katsuya was bombarded by Mokuba. "Ghn!" He coughed, shaking it off with a smirk. "Heh... Mokuba..."

 

The boy pulled back, grinning as his friend stepped back out of the pod with a slight stumble. "Hehehe! We did it! We won!" he shouted, Katsuya merely rubbing his head and laughing as well.

 

"Haha... Got that right!" he said before wincing and rubbing his arm. Suddenly, there was this one spot that was really stinging... "Ow... Geeze," he muttered, rubbing it down as the pain faded. Huh. Weird... "Got too used t' havin' a gash there..."

 

Yugi looked over somewhat worriedly, having apparently switched back to his 'normal' self before waking up. The look was lost however, and he ended up just walking over with a smile as his friend stopped rubbing the arm. "Are you alright?" he asked, still smiling as the blond nodded.

 

"'Course! Why wouldn't I be?" His friend merely nodded, smiling as they looked toward the others. "You missed a wicked fight," Honda said with a stretch, shaking his head as he joined the others. Given the ruined barricade at the side...

 

Yeah, yeah he did. "As soon as Mokuba got out of that pod all the doors unlocked... Guards flocked in here faster than anything I've even seen," he muttered, shaking his head.

 

"Oh please," Anzu said with a sigh, arms crossed as she shook her head. "I'd hardly call it a fight," she continued with a laugh, Honda going somewhat red in response. "The most we were able to do was run away from the collapsing barricade!" Er... What?

 

Yugi laughed as well, shaking his head before explaining. "When I woke up, the guards had all come in," he began, Katsuya blinking at the news. Kay... But then where were- "But as soon as Mokuba mentioned Kaiba-san waking up as well..." Oh-HOH! That would definitely do it!

 

Katsuya snorted, holding his head as he laughed at that. "I'm gonna guess they ran outta here pretty damn fast huh..."

 

The boy beside them grinned, arms crossed. "Hehehe... Yep," Mokuba said with a laugh, moving to grab the blond's deck and hand it to him. "Heh... Hey... ...Everyone?" he said somewhat quietly, turning to the others. "...Thanks for helping," he said with a smile, the others merely shrugging and smiling in response.

 

"Hey," Honda said with a shrug, shaking his head. "It was nothing really..."

 

The others as well nodded, Anzu crossing her arms behind her back as she shook her head. "We only did what was natural really- friends help friends when they need it after all."

 

"Ah..."

 

Katsuya smirked, pocketing his deck as his friend continued to stare. "Heh... Lets jus' go find yer s... Yer brother alrigh'?" The boy beside him nodded, moving toward the door at the far side before a second one behind them hissed open.

 

Hang on, what? There was a yawning noise, the others staring as Mai walked through and gave a small stretch. H-Hah...

 

She wasn't kidding about not wearing the corset all the time..! "Ahh... Good to see you boys woke up well enough," she said with a smile, pulling a few strands of hair back as she walked into the room. She stretched again before turning to spot Anzu and Honda, lowering her arms to her sides to stare briefly. "Oh..." She blinked, brushing a bit of dust from her sweater. "You two as well?" She paused for a moment as Anzu merely shrugged in response, shaking her head and turning back to the others. All but one person... "Did Kaiba wake up easily enough?"

 

Mokuba shook his head, momentarily ignoring the confused look Mai was getting from Honda. "Nii-sama's in the next room," he said with a shrug, turning back to the closed door to walk toward it. "We won't know until-"

 

_-sfsssssssss..._

 

The others turned, watching as the next door opened before either of them touched it. "...The rooms are all connected?" Honda muttered with raised eyebrows, before following as Mokuba rushed toward the other room. "H-H-Hey, hold on a second-"

 

"Nii-sama!" Mokuba shouted, looking into the room only to frown as he was greeted with an empty pod. Errr...

 

Where did Seto go?

 

"..." He looked to the side, breaking into a grin and hurriedly tackling his sister as the woman moved from the back room. Oh. From there. "Nii-sama!" The woman stumbled only slightly from the force, Katsuya walking in with the others to raise his eyebrows. Alright, calm small smile he'd understand given that Mokuba was there but...

 

Looking at the one on her face now, or at least a few moments ago... That was a kinda...

 

Creepy one.

 

He looked at the back of the room, frowning. "O-Oi... What were y' doin' back there?" Didn't look like much...

 

Seto looked up, the smile only slightly faded despite the fact that her brother was wearing the same clothes as her rival. "Nothing," she said calmly, walking toward the door as it stood open, Mokuba running at her side as the others followed. "Nothing at all... I'm going home," she continued, turning to the others with her standard 'glare'. She seemed oddly pleased about something despite this, seriously what... "I need to re-design my security program," she said somewhat testily, most of the others going slightly red with the words. Ehehehe...

 

They didn't technically break in but... Ahaaa...

 

"...And prepare to hire replacements for my board of directors," the woman added somewhat smugly, a slight but evident tone of pleasure in her words. The others exchanged an awkward glance with that, before moving past. Honestly, it was probably better that they didn't... Ask about that one...

 

"Well," Honda said with a cough, shaking his head as the thoughts came to mind. "I should probably go make sure my sister isn't going to kill me..."

 

Seto stood with crossed arms as the teen passed her, the others following behind somewhat hurriedly. "I need to sleep myself," Anzu said fairly nervously, Yugi following behind just as fast. "Ah... It was nice seeing you here Mai," she added with a somewhat laughing cough, the woman merely waving in response.

 

"We'll see you at school tomorrow Jonouchi-kun," Yugi added as he left, leaving the other four alone. There was a short span of silence, before Mai shook her head.

 

"Well... I should probably find myself a hotel for the night," she said quietly, looking to the others somewhat awkwardly. Yeah... She probably had a fair idea of what happened to their opponent... (Though honestly, good riddance damn it.) "...Interesting clothes you have there," she continued with a wink toward the youngest of them, Mokuba in question going rather red as Seto looked at the boy with a somewhat annoyed expression.

 

And thus the clothes were spotted! Well, this would be fun to explain...

 

"It was nice seeing you again," Mai said with a small smile, "Situations aside Jonouchi... Hopefully the next time I come to Tokyo it won't be for something like this, hn?"

 

The blond laughed as Mai gave a wink, scratching his head as he laughed. "Haha, yeah... Yeah, ah..." Very different with luck...

 

"You can leave now," Seto said somewhat plainly, the woman across from her nodding her head as the silence was broken once more.

 

"Hnhnhnhn..." The woman chuckled somewhat, shouldering a bag she'd brought in with you. "Alright... I'll see you again," she said with a wink, moving out of the door to head out of the building. "Jya-ne, Jonouchi..." Hah... Yeah, 'jya-ne'...

 

...

 

"Maaaannn," Katsuya said with a sigh, Seto looking over with raised eyebrows from where she'd been staring at Mokuba's clothes. The blond scratched his head, shaking himself with a slight laugh. "Thi' 's th' weirdest birthday ever..."

 

As Mokuba laughed somewhat nervously in response, Seto blinked, staring for a few moments. "...It's your birthday..?" There was a span of silence as the blond shrugged, Seto merely turning to walk away after first staring for another few moments. "Hn! 'Weird' doesn't even cover it Mutt..." She continued out into the hall Mokuba following behind. "...Lets go home..."

 

He nodded, following after the two siblings after only a split second. "Yeah..." Heh... "Sounds like a plan."

 


	9. Lucky Fourteen

 

Snow had officially 'stopped' falling in Tokyo by the time February had come around. Rather than the occasional snowfall the weather was now predominantly either a light rain or a frigid breeze, as it had been since late January. Perhaps both at the same time even...

 

Though that resulted in a rather painful and unwanted bout of freezing rain, much to the displeasure of anyone caught outside. Personally Katsuya missed the times when a few degrees below zero was rare...

 

But he supposed it would only last until late March. Thankfully, freezing rain was not what they had that day, making it a fairly good way to start the second week of February. Well...

 

Mostly. School was school after all and damn it their English teacher was the _worst_...

 

"So," Honda was saying with a 'sigh' as they left the school building, heading toward Yugi's house now that clean-up was over and done with. English class was not the reason why they were less than 'cheery' this time around. Not by a long shot. "...Valentines day." Yeaaaaah... The boys shared looks before gaining seemingly identical looks of depression, sighing rather loudly as they made for the school gates.

 

"Ahhhhh don't r'mind me," Katsuya said with a groan, before Bakura came up from behind.

 

"Ah..." The blond looked back, blinking as their friend stared. "...What are you all upset about?" he asked somewhat nervously, frowning.

 

The others turned, Katsuya giving a small shrug before answering. "Eh... T'morrow's valentines day," he said with a slight wince, stretching. "An' given what happened at middle school las' year..." Terrible terrible incident, terrible...

 

Honda groaned, face-palming as Yugi and Bakura both raised their eyebrows. "Oh god," he groaned, the others continuing to stare confusedly. "Don't remind me," he said with a sigh, shaking his head.

 

There was a small span of silence, Bakura and Yugi both trading looks before the latter decided to ask. "Ah... What exactly happened Honda-kun?" Katsuya looked over at Honda for a moment, both of them swallowing as they turned back. Friends or not... It was a thing that would never be spoken of again. Ever. "Er... 'D rather not go there..." It involved lots of chocolate that they didn't get... And... Them trying to get it anyways.

 

And... A lot of girls... Not enjoying that.

 

Ehhh... Didn't end well, that was all he needed to remember really.

 

The other two blinked, nonetheless shrugging it off as they continued to walk toward the game shop. What was left unsaid was... Probably better left unsaid. The only question was... How to change this topic with Valentines just a day away.

 

"Ah... So," the blond began, "Yugi?" Katsuya asked, hands in his pockets as they continued walking. "Are there any new cards at the shop?" He could probably get a new booster pack. Maybe actually go through his deck like everyone was recommending...

 

The boy blinked, before shaking his head. "Nope... Nothing new," he said as they walked, the gameshop now in sight along side a mostly tarp-covered building. "Though Grandpa's getting worried about that store across from us..." Eh? The others looked at him after glancing at the building in question, Yugi scratching his head. "It's starting to look like a department store... We might have a bigger selection of some games," he said with a cough, "But most of the profits come because people don't want to go out of the district for cards..." The boy sighed, shaking his head. "It's starting to get a bit tense actually..."

 

Hoh. The others nodded in silence at that, quite easily catching what their friend was getting at. If Sugoroku got somewhat pouty when they went to a department store on the other side of town on a rumor of new cards... Hihhhh. The four moved inside the store, Yugi's grandfather looking up from the counter with a blink. He had to say...

 

For a guy who probably went through two heart attacks and one full on coma, he wasn't doing too badly. "Oh... Welcome back," he said with a smile, Yugi nodding in response. "And it's good to see you boys as well... Anzu isn't here?" the man continued, grandson shaking his head.

 

"She said she was staying after school to help put something together for the Home ec. class..."

 

Sugoroku nodded, looking back at his paper. "Ah, I see... Well then," he said with a small smile, "You boys look around then..." The others nodded in response, ignoring the somewhat odd tone Sugoroku had suddenly taken before turning as the door opened again.

 

"Aha," a familiar voice said, the four jumping somewhat as Mai walked in. Sugoroku looked around the four, eyes growing wide as the woman walked over with a bag in her hands. "I thought I'd find you all here," she muttered, pulling a bit of hair back.

 

"Ah... M-Mai," Yugi said, looking up at the woman as the door shut behind her. "What are you doing here..?"

 

The woman shrugged, pulling out a few boxes from the bag in her hands. "Oh... Just passing through," she said somewhat dismissively. "I was invited to a small private tournament on a cruise leaving from just out of the city," she continued with a wink and a grin, "Adults only~! If I'm lucky," the woman said with a fair bit of cheer, "I'll be able to have a bit of a vacation here!"

 

The others blinked, before jumping slightly as she handed them each a small box. "Ah... Mai-san?" Bakura asked somewhat nervously, looking over the palm-sized package with a frown, "What is-"

 

She smirked, hand on her hip as she gripped the bag tight. "Well, I won't be here tomorrow," the woman began, "But I didn't think it would be too early to give you boys a bit of chocolate..." Sugoroku leaned around the counter, staring still as the others looked over the boxes. They were all getting chocolate..?

 

"Er... Yeah but..." He coughed, looking over the box and frowning. "Why're y' givin' us chocolate anyways..?" That was reserved for couples... And... Compensation... ...Wait, was this compensation chocolate?!

 

...Though, it could also be 'tomo-choco'... Too much chocolate damn it...

 

Apparently this was the wrong thing to ask, as the woman instantly huffed and went somewhat red in apparent anger. "Hn! It was originally going to be for my boyfriend," she grumbled, Honda appearing to deflate somewhat behind them at the mention of any relationship at all. "Until I came in on him with some foreign woman..." Errr... The others swallowed, watching as Mai continued to grumble in front of them. That was awkward. Uh... She shook her head, sighing as she crossed her arms. "I dumped him on the spot, but he just won't leave me alone... If I see him in front of my house again," she growled, appearing to be speaking to no one in particular by that point, "I swear it, he'll find out just how much he needs his 'team'..." Kay...

 

Maybe they should drop the topic... "Ah... You said you were going on a cruise Mai?" Yugi asked curiously, the woman looking down before nodding.

 

"That's right," she said somewhat calmly, "The ship leaves around five." She rolled up the small bag she'd been carrying, continuing on. "It's a small competition, but because of the high stakes the profit will be incredible," she said with a smile, the thought quickly lifting her spirits again. She moved toward the door, the boys following behind somewhat as she gave a wink. "If I win," she called out as she went back outside, "I should invite you over to my house for a celebration... Maybe give you boys a taste of wine~"

 

The boys went fairly red, coughing a little awkwardly as Mai shook her head and laughed. They watched her walk over to a car on the side, the silence quickly broken as they looked over it. "Woah," Honda said rather loudly, shaking his head as the woman pulled out her keys and unlocked the clearly expensive (not to mention red) convertible. "That's your car?"

 

Again the woman chuckled, shaking her head as she stepped in. "What, you thought I walked? In this weather?" The boys exchanged odd looks again, and the engine started with a roar. Damn that was a nice car... "I'll see you all later!" she said with a wave as she pulled off into the street, winking yet again. "Jya-ne!~"

 

The car took off with a roar, quickly vanishing down the street as the others watched it go. ...Wowwww... Um...

 

Katsuya coughed as they went back inside, looking at the chocolate nervously. When he thought about it... "Er... If this w's s'pposed t' be for her boyfriend b'fore he cheated on her," he began, swallowing as he looked it over, "What kind 'f chocolate is it?" Their eyes quickly widened, all four looking back at the chocolate. Now that they thought about it, if that kind of mood went into it...

 

Suddenly... It didn't look very appetizing... "Erm... I think I'll leave now," Bakura finally said nervously, stowing the chocolate in his bag with a cough. "I'll see you all tomorrow," he added, before walking out the door.

 

"Ah, bye Bakura-kun," Yugi called after the teen, the door closing with a small 'ding' from the bell up top. There was a short span of silence as they looked at the door, Honda eventually breaking it with something that was likely on both his and Katsuya's mind at the moment.

 

"...He's going to get swamped tomorrow..."

 

"Damn right..."

 

* * *

 

"So... Katsuya-nii..." Supper at 'home' (almost a year and that still sounded weird), as usual, was a semi-awkward, semi-happy, semi... Awkward meal. Mokuba and Katsuya would hold a conversation of sorts, generally centered on what was going on in life, and maybe if they were lucky Seto would say... Something. Though normally it would be to insult him...

 

He'd gotten used to that.

 

Katsuya turned, mouth somewhat full as the boy continued with his question. "I was just wondering... The kids at my school are getting pretty excited for Valentines Day..." Yeah, that was kinda expected.. "And... I don't really know what's going on..." Wait what? He didn't-

 

Katsuya blinked, swallowing as he frowned. How the hell did he not-

 

Right. Mokuba and Seto both started school with the school year, since this was Mokuba's 'first year' so to speak...

 

And something told him Valentines would otherwise have no purpose if there was no school...

 

He opened his mouth to answer the boy, only for Seto's usual 'annoyed' tone to come from across them on the table. "It's a stupid day for love-sick women to fool men into a date using their stomachs," she muttered rather nonchalantly, looking over a few papers as she ate. Briefly, she looked up from the papers to Mokuba, the frigid tone somewhat calmed down for his sake. "It shouldn't concern you," she continued, returning to her food. A 'stupid day' huh. Well, wonder why that would be...

 

Katsuya smirked, laughing somewhat. "Hehehe... That outlook come from th' workplace?" he asked, Seto in question looking up with a blank stare. "I bet yer desk gets swamped durin' this time 'f year..."

 

The woman glared, leaning back on her chair somewhat as she crossed her arms. "If you're done Mutt," she growled, nodding her head toward the blond's food, "You can leave the table and drop that subject..." Sore topic eh? Hehehehe...

 

Well, his plate was empty... The blond continued to grin, laughing quietly as he moved from his chair to leave. Mokuba in the meantime looked back at his friend, before turning to his sister with a similar grin on his face. "Hey, Nee-sama?" the boy asked 'innocently, Katsuya turning back from where he was heading for the door. Mokuba had hopped out of his seat as well, now pushing his chair into the table and continuing with a somewhat conniving grin. "Are _you_ going to be giving anyone chocolate this year then~?" Ooooooh...

 

That got a response. "I said drop the subject," the woman bit out, standing from her seat as both of the boys fled the room. "Don't mention it again!"

 

"Ah _ahah_!" They charged through the door, Katsuya leaving the moment the question had been asked as Mokuba laughed behind him. "Just asking nee-sama~" The laughter continued as they ran down the hall, looking back with a grin before shaking their heads.

 

"Ahhhh... Oh man..." He attempted to calm his laughter, shaking somewhat as he sighed. "I'm so screwed now, but th' look on her face..."

 

Mokuba continued to laugh, before sighing. "Hahhh... At least now I know why there was always a box of chocolate in the garbage around this time of year..."

 

The blond raised his eyebrows, snorting. "Wait, y' mean I was right?"

 

"Hehehehe..." The boy nodded, a large grin on his face. "Yep!" Haha! Damn...

 

Remind him to avoid talking to Seto the next day then. "Well... In any case... Don' worry about t'morrow alright," he said with a grin, Mokuba looking back up with raised eyebrows. "I mean... I don' think that it's really th' same thing in elementary..."

 

The boy stared, before nodding. "Right!" He paused, before an odd look came on his face and he stared off. "I wonder what kind of chocolate I'll get..."

 

And there went the point of 'not worrying'...

 

* * *

 

The next morning had come a little too quickly for his liking- mostly though that was because he was still not done his homework but... Really, when was he ever. Even so not having homework was one thing. Not having the _English_ homework...

 

That was another thing entirely. Especially since he was pretty sure that sometimes when the teacher's face did that weird puzzle thing, not too many other people noticed these days. All things aside though, getting into the classroom was interesting this year. "O-OI!" Katsuya scowled, trying to push through the swarm of girls around Bakura's desk to get to his own. Damn it, they didn't have to stand on both sides! "Move!"

 

One of them turned, snorting as the blond continued to push against them. "Psh! Just calm down, 'Jonouchi'," she said with a frown, crossing her arms. "We're trying to give Bakura-kun these chocolates~ Just let us do that and leave us alone..."

 

"Yeah, well d'yah mind letting me sit down?" he snarled, glaring at the group as a number of them turned on him. The girls rolled their eyes, before moving to the side to clear a path to the chair and allow the blond to sit down.

 

"There," one said with a somewhat annoyed drawl, crossing her arms. "Happy?" As a matter of fact...

 

Yes. As Bakura in the meantime laughed somewhat awkwardly ('Erm... T-Thanks for the chocolate...'), the blond nodded and took his seat, bag dropped to the side. "Ye-ep!" At that moment Honda came in, squeezing his way through to the other side of the blond's desk and looking at the small crowd preventing anyone from talking to the albino sitting there.

 

"Wow," he said after a moment, shaking his head as he squeezed past to lean against one of the desks. "I know I said swamped but..."

 

Katsuya nodded, shaking his head. "Yeah," he muttered, scratching his head. "This goes waaaaaay beyond what I 'xpected..." God damn it, if this was just their class, what would happen when that 'school wide fanclub' the girls had started up struck home?

 

"Erm... Excuse me, Honda-kun..." The teens turned, blinking as a young girl with ribbon tied hair bowed her head somewhat. Eh..? Miho? "Could you please move?" she asked quietly, gaze occasionally shifting off to the side. "I was hoping to give this to Bakura-kun..."

 

There was a small, awkward bout of silence before the teen nodded, moving to the side with a slow nod. "Yeah,” he said quietly, again bowing his head. "Yeah... Sure... Miho-chan..." He watched as the girl moved through the crowd, before sighing and taking a seat at his desk as the girls continued to swarm Bakura's own. "Man..."

 

Katsuya bit his lip, giving his friend a somewhat sympathetic look as he glanced back at the crowd. "Er... Bad luck there Honda..."

 

"Yeah," he said, rubbing his head as the classroom filled and cleared somewhat as the start of class came closer. "No _shit._.."

 

"Erm..." They turned again, Bakura coughing somewhat as the crowd at his desk cleared up with the bell. "Honda-kun," he said somewhat nervously, holding out the same box Miho had given him. It was small, tied tightly shut with a ribbon... Much like a number of other boxes on his desk. "If you like, I could give you-"

 

The teen shook his head, moving from his desk and walking out the door as a confused Anzu and Yugi walked in. "I'm fine," he muttered, disappearing as Bakura nervously began clearing off his desk.

 

Anzu and Yugi in the meantime shared a look, before turning back to the others as they both walked in. "Ah... Did we miss something," the taller of the two asked, Katsuya scratching his head.

 

"Well," the blond said with a shrug, "That's one way t' put it..."

 

* * *

 

They found him on the roof at lunch, shortly after questioning the school nurse on Honda's whereabouts. He'd been there for most of the morning according to her. Apparently he'd had a headache?

 

...Yeah he could see how that excuse would still apply.

 

(At least it meant his sister wouldn't ream him out for skipping class...)

 

Yugi and Katsuya took a seat beside the teen, keeping silent for a short bit as they looked up at the sky. It wasn't too bad outside actually. Getting a little warmer, no more frost in the morning... "...Gym class is next," Yugi said eventually, the boys already knowing what was wrong and just how much they could really 'do' about it. He turned to the side, leaning forward slightly as his friend gave no response. "...Are you going to come back inside Honda-kun?"

 

The teen shrugged, shaking his head. "I don't know," he muttered, rubbing his head with a slight groan. "Probably," he added as an after thought, before leaning forward on his arms. A small breeze passed, the three continuing to stare out at the horizon.

 

"...You guys end up getting anything?" he said after a few moments of silence, still staring past the fence. They shook their heads, Katsuya smirking somewhat wryly. "Nah... What?" he said with a laugh, "You think we'd do any better than you?" The blond leaned back against the wall, stretching somewhat. "Hah... Nah, I think th' box we all got from Mai is about as good as we'll get..."

 

Though he had to say, that chocolate had been pretty good... "Hn..." Honda nodded, before appearing to brighten somewhat as he looked at the sky. "Hey," he said with a smirk, turning to the blond beside him. "Do you think your sister will give anyone chocolate?"

 

Katsuya instantly tensed, gritting his teeth. "Definitely NOT!" he growled, glaring at his friend.

 

The teen grinned, laughing as he edged away from the blond. "Hey," he said with a grin, "I'm just joking around man, calm down..!"

 

Calm down? Like hell! "That's my sister you're talking about!"

 

"Well... What can I say," Honda said with a shrug, "She's hot!"

 

"HONDAAAAAA..."

 

"...Haaaaah..." Eh? The boys turned as Yugi sighed, watching as he fingered his puzzle for a few moments. Around the same moment the boy seemed to space out, before staring forward in silence and leaning his head on his hands. For a brief moment, Katsuya almost thought he saw something. A shadow maybe, 'flickering' beside him but...

 

The blond shook it off, pushing it to the back of his mind. That couldn't be right. Silence hung over the air, Honda and Katsuya both sharing a glance before leaning back against the stairwell wall again. Now that he thought about it, while it was one thing to be raring for any chocolate, Yugi was probably just waiting for-

 

"Ah!" The three turned as a shout came from around the wall, before watching as Anzu stepped out from the stairway with a grin. "Yugi!" They stared, the woman walking over in her gym uniform and shaking her head somewhat. "I've been looking all over for you," she continued, walking over and holding out a pair of boxes. "Here; happy Valentines day neh?" Yugi blinked, eyes somewhat wide as he went red in response to the 'offer'. "One of these is for the 'other you' alright?" she said with a smile, the boy before her nervously taking the boxes with a slow nod. "I don't think he would get anything otherwise," she added with a small laugh, shaking her head. Again Yugi nodded somewhat, still rather red as the woman stood up again. Obligatory, compensation chocolates or not...

 

It was still chocolate.

 

From the boy's crush.

 

"Well," Anzu muttered, bowing her head somewhat as she looked at the three. "I'm going to go get ready for gym... I'll see you in English!" she continued, heading for the stairs. The three stared, Yugi looking back at his chocolate while Honda frowned.

 

"O-Oi," he muttered, turning back from the stairs. "And I don't get any 'giri-chocolate'?" he asked with a sigh, looking back at Yugi as the boy in question shrugged as well.

 

"Heh," Katsuya said with a smirk, crossing his arms. "You ain't th' only one," he continued with a laugh, "After all, I didn't get anything either! It's just like every other year right?"

 

Honda shook his head, lightly punching the blond's shoulder. "Well yeah," he said with a shrug, "But you're _dating_ someone," he continued, "You'll probably get a box after school... From whoever this person is..."

 

The blond tensed, gritting his teeth and quickly reeling on the teen with a snarl. "I told yah, I ain't datin' anyone!"

 

His friend merely laughed as the bell above them rang, signalling the ten-minute wait period they would have to change for gym. "Whatever you say," he said with a grin, Yugi pulling himself up and sighing as the two argued. He moved past them to head down the stairs, shaking his head as the others followed behind. Damn it he wasn't dating anyone!

 

"I'm tellin' th' truth!" He thought so at least.

 

Even so Honda was shaking his head. "A-huh..."

 

It was really expected that the judo class the boys took mere moments later ended a little badly for Honda after that.

 

Though by the last bit of class, they were both in equal states.

 

* * *

 

After all was said and done it was probably that conversation from the school roof that made him decide to give his sister a phone call that afternoon. Not that he was paranoid about what Honda had said or anything, but...

 

To tell the truth, he hadn't called her since December, before the surgery. After she went through, he'd spoken to his Mom a few times when she called to see how things were doing on his end, but the answer was always the same when he asked-

 

_'She's still resting in the hospital... I'm sorry Katsuya._ ' She was supposed to go home around now though right? Hell, they couldn't keep her in the hospital forever!

 

Katsuya leaned against the 'breakfast room' counter, staring at the phone with that thought in mind. Outside the fact that he'd long since given up on asking why the house had what could effectively be considered a 'second dining room'... It was as good a place as ever to make the call without being interrupted. "Hn..." He had time... Katsuya looked over at the clock, before looking back. He had to take a shift for someone today but... Yeah, he had time! The blond grabbed the phone, punching in a few keys before leaning back on the stool he was on.

 

He'd just have to keep track of it was all.

 

_'bzzzz'... 'bzzzzzz'_. Come on... Pick up...

 

There was a 'click' sound on the other end, before a somewhat phone-garbled voice came over. " _Moshi-moshi?_ " Ah... Ah!

 

Katsuya grinned, instantly sitting up on his seat as he recognized the voice. "S-Shizuka!” he shouted with a laugh. "You're back!"

 

The girl on the other end jumped somewhat, a slight yelp coming over the end before the girl responded. " _Ah... Katsuya-nihan,_ " she shouted, before shaking off the surprise and continuing. " _It's good to hear from you,_ " she said cheerfully, " _How are you doing?_ "

 

He continued smiling, again leaning back against the counter and nodding his head. "Pretty good... School sucks, nothin' else new really..." Most of that was true. Mostly. Like hell he'd be ruining his sister's good mood with talk of the VR chaos that happened a few weeks ago.

 

"What about you?" he continued, staring off past the window at the side. Damn, it was already getting dark out there... "Did the surgery work?" he asked almost hesitantly, suddenly pulling his gaze from the window as he waited for the answer. "Can... Can y' see now..?"

 

" _Erm... Actually,_ " she said, the blond tensing at the words. Oh no, oh no _no no no_ \- Just as quickly as he panicked however, he gave a relieved sigh, the rest of Shizuka's answer coming through. "I _'m not supposed to remove the bandages for another month,_ " she said somewhat nervously, laughing lightly as her brother calmed down. " _Eyes take quite a while to heal nihan, and the surgery was risky enough as it was..._ " Oh... Right. That was a good point...

 

Ahahaha... Um.

 

" _Oh... How was your birthday by the way?_ " His... His birthday? Er...

 

Besides the fact that it was the weirdest and scariest damn thing since the 'Shadi' incident? ...Honestly, it was like someone had taken that night, and the Monster World Night and... Smushed them into one thing...

 

He coughed somewhat, shaking his head. "Er... It was good," he managed to force out, otherwise hiding his discomfort. "'S good as any other time..." Except. Not really...

 

There was a slight pause on the other end, his sister likely nodding in response. " _Ah, I see... Well_ ," she continued, " _What about your job then?_ " she asked, Katsuya silently thanking his luck for the change in subject. " _You still work on security for Mokuba-kun's family right?_ " He nodded despite the gesture being unseen, smiling again.

 

"Yep! It's goin' pretty good really... Workin' friday nights an' saturday... An' sunday morning too... Takin' th' late shift f'r someone t'day though," he added, scratching his head as he stared off at the wall. "Heh... Probably gonna feel like hell in th' morning, but what ever! 'Nuff about me," the blond said with a stretch, looking at the phone for a moment before continuing. "How're you doin'? I know y' can't take off th' bandages but... There has t' be somethin' you can do while y' wait right?"

 

" _Ah, well... Actually_ ," she said calmly, " _A friend from school has been visiting me a lot lately..._ " Oh, a friend?

 

"Hoh..." He nodded somewhat, smiling. "That sounds good..." There was a sound of agreement on the other end, Shizuka continuing on.

 

" _It is,_ " she said loudly, likely nodding as she spoke." _Keichi-kun has been helping a lot in his spare time... He's even teaching me to play duel monsters,_ " she added, Katsuya more concerned with the 'kun' for a moment. Her friend was a guy.

 

...How close was this friend...

 

" _It's fun! Maybe someday, we can play together,_ " Shizuka was saying, the words pulling her brother from his thoughts rather quickly. Wa-wa-waaa _aaaiiiit_...

 

"H-Hang on... Shizuka," Katsuya asked, shaking his head as he ran over the last few sentences again. "If... You're learning to play duel monsters... ...How are you doing that when you have the bandages on your face?" Cards were kind of a visual deal...

 

" _Hn?_ " There was a slight pause, before a cheerful response came over the end. " _Ah, Keichi-kun tells_ _me what cards are in my hand..._ " Didn't that kind of kill the point of not showing your hand then... " _Though he tells me what's in his to make it fair,_ " she continued quickly, " _I've even won a few times!_ " W...What?

 

How did that...

 

The blond shook his head, thoughts interrupted as his sister continued. " _Speaking of Keichi-kun... I decided to give him some chocolate as a thanks, he's been really nice lately..._ " Wait wait _wait what!_ She-

 

"O-O-Oii... Wh-What kind of chocolate-"

 

" _Ah- Mom needs the phone, I need to leave... Good-bye, Katsuya-nihan!_ " What!

 

WHAT? "S-Shizu-"

 

_-beeeeeeeeeeep-_

 

Damn it. "Shizuka!" Nooooooo...

 

"Ah..." Kyouko's voice came from the side, the maid walking into the room with raised eyebrows. "...What are you shouting about?"

 

Katsuya ignored the question, the phone returning to its cradle with a click as he slammed his head against the wall. "Ghhhnn..." He could keep his friends off his sister, but in the end, she was still hours away in Osaka... "...Nothing Kyouko," he finally said as the maid walked in. The maid nodded in response, scratching her head as she walked in with a small plastic bag.

 

The blond turned his head, frowning somewhat as he spotted it. Eh... What? "...What's in th' bag?"

 

She blinked, looking back at the bag in question. "Ah... For some reason, Seto-sama asked me to pick up a few things for her..." The woman brought the bag back down, apparently still confused. "I'm not sure why..." Kay...

 

He blinked, frowning. "Then... What kind 'f stuff..."

 

"...Jonouchi?" the woman asked, frowning abruptly. He tensed, the maid continuing. "...Doesn't your shift start in a few minutes? You said you would cover for Odoru didn't you?" The blond tensed, looking back at the clock on the wall before pushing past Kyouko with a start. "Gh- Shit!"

 

L-Late!

 

* * *

 

As it turned out, he wasn't late. Hell, the clock in the kitchen was about five minutes fast so... He'd been early for once, which was fairly interesting to say the least. Got into the uniform, grabbed a bit of homework to pass the time and five minutes later, as per usual...

 

Nothing was happening at all. At one point Seto went into the kitchen, but really not only would staring at her when she was on camera be really awkward in the long run, he was supposed to be paying attention to the other screens.

 

And besides, she was done with whatever she was doing within half an hour anyways. Either that, or Mokuba would likely manage to successfully eat all of the chocolate he was carrying before getting caught...

 

Katsuya yawned, leaning back against his chair and blinking a few times to keep awake. Damn... His job was boring as hell but... Well, it was better than delivering papers at least. He continued looking at the screens, idly flipping through his duel monster's deck as he sat there.

 

Homework? Bah, he'd do that later. Though...

 

He had to wonder, Katsuya thought with a frown, holding up the two 'dice' cards he'd gotten recently. After the Duelist Kingdom... Where were the new cards coming from? At least ones that worked on a duel table? He knew they worked on the table, since Mokuba would mention Seto muttering about certain errors with new cards but... Why would she still be working with Pegasus on that?

 

...He hated missing things, he really did...

 

The blond groaned, folding his deck back up and looking over the screens again. He should really be paying attention...

 

Ahh... Lets see... Nothing in the north wing, nothing in the south wing, nothing in the-

 

_bzzzz_

 

"Eh?" Katsuya sat up, shaking his head and turning back toward the door. That sound... Who the hell? He pocketed his deck, looking around the chair as the door lock was accessed and the door opened. "Who-"

 

The door swung in, the blond sitting up with raised eyebrows. Eh!

 

"Set-" Oooh shit that glare... He coughed, shaking his head and correcting himself. "...Kaiba?"

 

The woman walked in, arms somewhat crossed as she held a box in her hands. Evidently, catching himself was the right thing to do; the glare was 'mostly' gone, replaced with her usual stare. "Hn... Good to know you don't sleep on the job..."

 

He snorted, looking back at the screens for a moment before turning back. Nothing in the east wing... "Heh! Would I still be here 'f I did?" There was a small span of silence in response, Katsuya again glancing at the screens to continue his job before looking back to the woman. No answer...

 

Save maybe a look that said ' _...No, you'd be dead if you did that_ '.

 

Not the point. "So... What is it anyways?" he asked with a slight shrug, "There somethin' y' need t' check or..."

 

"I came to repay you for two weeks ago," she muttered somewhat bluntly, holding out the box in her hands. Wait what? Re... Repay? What? "In that rogue program," AKA 'the game from hell' he added mentally, "When you took that strike for Mokuba..." Hang on...

 

This was about _that_? The woman turned away somewhat, still holding the box out.

 

"You're a complete moron for doing it," she spat almost angrily, "But at least you stopped the attack..." Katsuya stared at the box that was being handed to him, frowning somewhat before looking back at the woman. She was... Thanking him for something? Seriously? "...We're even now," Seto said plainly, still holding the box. "Don't get any ideas that this means anything more than that though," she spat with a slight growl, narrowing her eyes. "I just figured a moron like you would ordinarily avoid even getting 'obligation' chocolates." Well yeah, they didn't really do that at sch- Waaaaiit...

 

"O-Oiii," he said with a frown, narrowing his eyes and looking back from the security feeds. "What th' hell is that s'pposed t' mean..."

 

The woman rolled her eyes, a glare coming from over the box as she forced it into the blonds' fumbling hands. "Just take the chocolate mutt." Okay, okay! He'd take the chocolates! God...

 

He nodded slowly, before watching the woman leave and close the door behind her without another word. "...Hihh..." Okay... That was wei-

 

Waaaiiit a second. Katsuya looked back down at the box, before quickly unwrapping it with wide eyes and staring. It was a fairly smooth cut, palm-sized slab of chocolate but... Well. It was...

 

Chocolate. It was...

 

"... I just got chocolate," he muttered under his breath, voice heavily laced with disbelief. "...I just got chocolate from _Seto-chan_ ," he said slightly louder, looking back at the screens before breaking into a grin. "Haha! YES! _YES_!" Who the hell cared if it was giri-chocolate, it was fucking _chocolate_! The chair he was in spun somewhat, and he nibbled a corner off the slab before choking and dropping the slab on his lap. "Gh-k- _Kahk.._!"

 

Woah _woah-woah_!

 

He grabbed the slab again, taking another nibble before swallowing and paling. Oh hell... ...This chocolate.

 

"Ooooooh hell..."

 

Was not giri-chocolate.

 

"OHHHHH hell..." Not by a long shot. "Damn it," he muttered, slamming his head into the desk he was sitting at.

 

...He was so screwed on White Day...

 

* * *

 

Making a small slab of (very) good chocolate last was something of an art really. Almost as much as making the chocolate itself, given the difficulty in actually melting the chocolate down without ruining the pot, and then adding things like sugar or flavouring to get just the right 'sweetness'. Even without the added difficulty in cooking though, it was definitely the sort of feat that had to be marvelled at, saving chocolate for a certain amount of time. And while this was definitely not something that Bakura needed to worry about given all the boxes he'd received, despite the fact that he'd been writing down what kinds of chocolate he'd been given from each girl in order to return the favor properly as a result, it was something that Katsuya and Yugi seemed to be doing.

 

Not that he ended up telling Yugi about his chocolate in the end, but the mood was there, and it was rather obvious given that both of them decided not to buy any cards for the next month, instead saving money for 'something important'. Or...

 

It seemed that way to him at least. Mokuba himself had come back from school with lots of chocolate, as it turned out that the girls in his class did indeed go with the Valentines day 'tradition' despite it being the last year of elementary. A fact that he'd been more than pleased about... For about fifteen minutes, after which his sister had of course had confiscated about... Three quarters of it lest he end up on a sugar high and awake for the next month.

 

Nonetheless it was still rather obvious just how much was there. It was... Lots of chocolate to say the least, and Mokuba was very happy about that. Especially since the confiscation actually meant that he still got chocolate with his lunch weeks afterward. His own chocolate on the other hand, not counting the bit from Mai he'd eaten the day of, had lasted about...

 

Two days. (It was so good...) Which left him wondering one fairly important thing almost a month later.

 

How the _hell_ was he going to double that in quality? Hell, there hadn't even been a brand or something to go by, it was just... Chocolate. Damn it.

 

Katsuya rubbed his head, mentally groaning at the thought as Bakura's mutterings from beside him pulled his thoughts back to the present. "Ah... And I'll need this much for Nosaka-san... And..."

 

The blond blinked, raising his eyebrows as the albino continued to scribbling things on a note pad. "Y'know Bakura," he said with a laugh, "Y' don' have t' buy chocolate f'r every girl that got y' somethin'..."

 

He shook his head, not looking up from his rather interestingly organized list. "I know," he said nervously, scratching his head and looking at the paper. "But I only have two days left, and I'd rather not be rude..."

 

Honda sighed, leaning back on his chair. "It's just 'fan-girl chocolate' man, you need to relax..." The two were largely ignored, their friend merely continuing to mutter to himself.

 

"How on earth will I afford all of this..."

 

"..." They shared a glance, before sighing and shaking their heads. Well, obviously Bakura wasn't convinced...

 

Yugi smiled somewhat wryly, shaking his head from his own seat before turning to the others. "Well... At least Mai doesn't expect anything in return," he said with a slight shrug, holding his puzzle and laughing somewhat. "Apparently, she just didn't want the chocolate to go to waste..."

 

"Yeah," Honda said with a slight sigh, staring at the ceiling. "She _also_ apparently got a restraining order once she got back to Kyoto..." He smirked, shaking his head and laughing. "I'd hate to see what happens to the moron who pissed her off..." Speaking of the restraining order...

 

The entire thing was more than a little interesting to find out about, though at least she sounded happy about it when Anzu was sharing the message over her cellphone. Happy, and _loud_. The teen laughed slightly as they recalled that moment, before Yugi leaned back on his chair and stared off in thought. No matter what, it was a little hard to avoid the other topic on their mind...

 

"I wonder if Anzu wants two boxes of chocolate," he wondered aloud, leaning on his arm with a slight frown. "Since the other me got chocolate as well..." That... That was a good question.

 

"Can y' even afford that much chocolate?" Katsuya asked with a frown, turning as the bell rang. The boy merely shrugged, shaking his head before turning to the front. Er, that wasn't a good response... Well. School time...

 

Maybe they should just drop the subject...

 

* * *

 

They sure as hell tried to drop the subject at least. Normally it wouldn't have been hard. And normally, two out of three of them wouldn't have gotten anything on Valentines. Even so they had fought to change the subject over from that moment on.

 

And it appeared to have worked too, given that the rest of the day had been filled with guesses on what the hell was underneath the tarp covering the rather enormous 'lump' on the store across from the game shop. So far, the guess was...

 

No fucking clue. (Seriously, what was that thing...) They'd have thought it'd be a clown given the name but after the enormous thing had been put up on the building... Well. There was no way it'd be that big right? ...Riiiiiiight?

 

It was tuesday evening now however and... Well, he might as well see what he could get in terms of chocolate he supposed. Maybe he could just guess at what kind of chocolate he got on Valentines and... Go with that. ... Yeaaaaaah...

 

He was screwed.

 

Katsuya scratched his head as he stood in the 'seasonal' aisle of the department store, biting his lip. Aw hell, this would take forever... Why the hell were there so many chocolates here damn it? He walked down the aisle, hands stowed in his pockets as he looked at the various white chocolate brands. There was one with some kind of lemon taste... A marshmallow one... A caramel one... ...Dang it. Had to be something there... Maybe... This box?

 

He grabbed one, looking over the labels for a moment before looking at a different one. Not that one, not that one... Katsuya looked up at the next shelf, grabbing another box before jumping as a voice came from behind. "N-HH _HHAA_!"

 

"A-Ah!" Who the-

 

Wait that sounded like... The blond turned, watching as Yugi poked his head around the aisle. "Jonouchi-kun!"

 

"Jonouchi?" The boy was quickly joined by Honda, Katsuya mentally smacking his head against the wall in response as the two walked over. "Seriously?" Damn it.

 

The blond scowled, turning as Honda and Yugi walked over. "Gh... You guys..." He'd kept it quiet for so long too...

 

Yugi laughed, shaking his head as he gripped the chocolate he'd apparently decided to buy for Anzu. "Hahaha... Jonouchi-kun," he continued, scratching his head with a slight grin. "You didn't say that you got chocolate..." Nope. No he didn't... For a good reason. Ahhh, oh well...

 

The blond sighed, shaking his head. "Yeah well..." Er... What to say... "Whatever," he muttered, somewhat red as he changed the subject. "...Didn' Bakura say he was gettin' th' chocolate t'day though?" Shouldn't he be here too?

 

The other two shrugged, Honda shaking his head before returning his hands to his pockets. "With the amount he's aiming at," he asked somewhat incredulously, before taking a more serious expression. "He's probably at a bulk store... I'm surprised he can afford all of the chocolate personally," the teen added with another shrug. He then grinned, laughing as he shook his head. "Heh! Suddenly, I'm really glad I didn't get anything! Now," he continued with a smirk, the others looking back with somewhat unimpressed frowns, "I don't have to shell out my allowance for chocolate."

 

Oh yeah, rub it in a little more alright? Katsuya frowned, free hand stowed back in his pocket as they headed for the check out.

 

"If y' don' need anythin'," he said with a growl, "Then why th' hell are y' here..?" The teen blinked, only for Yugi to answer for him. "Honda-kun was at a key-stand when I spotted him," he said with a blink, looking up at the teen in question. "Yeah," Honda said with a slight nod, pulling out a lanyard to reveal a rather shiny looking key. "I was getting a second key for the house made." Okay...

 

The two stared, Katsuya frowning. "...Why?" Honda shook his head, Yugi stepping in front of the two to hold a place in the check out line as he answered.

 

"Well," he said somewhat plainly, "Now that Matsuda lives in the house, I've been lending him my key... But... Since he gets back late," the teen continued, "And the other one is lost..." Lost key... Hn... The others blinked, moving up in the line and putting their things on the counter.

 

"Matsuda?" Katsuya asked, tilting his head somewhat and turning back to their friend. Honda nodded, replacing the key in his pocket as he spoke. "Yeah- Ane's fiancee," he continued, pausing for a moment as they came to the end of the line. "Moved into the house in February, didn't I tell you guys?"

 

The others shook their heads, before turning to the cashier as the chocolate was rung through. "Will this be all?" the attendant asked the boys, Katsuya moving the 'divider' to the side as Yugi pulled out his change.

 

"Mnhm. Thank you," he said before handing the money over, grabbing the bag with his chocolate in it.

 

He walked past the checkout as Katsuya bought his own box, the blond answering the same question before grabbing his own bag as the three headed off to the escalator.

 

"So... 'Matsuda-san' is your sister's fiance then Honda-kun?" The teen nodded to Yugi's question, leaning back somewhat as they went down. He never did give them a name after all. "Yep; he was originally gonna move in around December," he said with a shrug, looking at the two as they moved for the next escalator down, "But he ended up breaking his leg... So he couldn't move anything out of his apartment." Huh.

 

That sucked. Well, anyways! The boys walked out of the store, Honda spinning the new key around on a lanyard as a slightly cool breeze smacked them all in the face. "So," Katsuya said with a slight stretch, shouldering the bag. "Arcade?"

 

Honda nodded, before catching the key in his hand and holding it out. "Sure... Need to test the key first though," he continued, pocketing it again. "Besides, I left most of my change at the house..."

 

Well, alright then, whatever... "Honda-kun?" Yugi asked as they walked, the taller of the three leading the way to his house. "How did you lose the first key anyways?"

 

He shrugged, the spinning stopping as he pocketed the key. "Jouji," he said bluntly. "Apparently he decided to see how many things he could cram into a toilet before it would clog up." ...Ew... "Guess which went first," he asked with a frown, the other two pulling a face at the thought.

 

"...Y' know what," Katsuya said with a swallow, "I'm gonna say you can keep whatever I lent y' last week..." Lest he loose his lunch trying to get it back at least... "Hey," he added with a cough, Honda's house coming into view as they crossed the street. "Yer dog isn't gonna go after my feet again is she?" he asked with a frown, looking at his friend. "I mean... She doesn't have that weird shoe thing goin' on right..?" Not like last time where it tried to swallow it whole...

 

Honda snorted, shaking his head. "She's penned up in the back," he said with a smirk, "It'll be fine! Had to lock her out there after Jouji chased him around with an RC plane," he continued with a slight stretch, pulling his key out again as they came up to his house. RC plane?

 

That was interesting...

 

The three walked over as Honda unlocked the door, before pocketing the key and stepping inside. "Kid's deadly with that thing," he continued somewhat loudly, disappearing into the hall as the others watched from outside. "Hell," he said with a sarcastic laugh as a light flicked on from the other end, "Even without actually _using_ the plane he's deadly with it!"

 

The other two frowned, the pair staring into the hall for a moment before trading an odd look with each other "Without?" Yugi asked somewhat hesitantly, frowning as he turned back to the hall. "How does that even make sense?" Honda merely shrugged, coming back out from the side of the hall and slipping his shoes back on as he looked at the others.

 

"Remember how I said Matsuda broke his leg?" The two nodded, stepping to the side as the teen shut and locked the door behind him. "Well," he continued, "He did it trying to get the plane off the garage roof. Ended up having to stay off work until it healed," he added, shaking his head. Huh...

 

Katsuya blinked, staring blankly for a few moments. That sounded almost familiar... "Huh... That sucks," he muttered, shaking his head and giving a short laugh in response. "Heh! Sounds almost like how S... Kaiba's chauffeur ended up outta work f'r December too! Hahaha..."

 

They walked back down the driveway, before stopping as a car pulled in. "Ah- That's Matsuda's car," Honda muttered, pulling a key out of his pocket as the sound of the car's engine died down. "Might as well hand this to him while we're here," he said with a shrug, watching the man step out of the car as the others waited. There was a sound 'thump' as the door was slammed shut, Matsuda in question turning to them all before staring. Hey, this guy looked like-

 

"...Jonouchi?" he said after a few moments, Katsuya staring with somewhat wide eyes as he recognized the voice. "What are you doing here?"

 

There was another short moment of silence, the three boys each sharing surprised stares before looking back. If it was the same voice, and the same accident... "H-Hang on," Honda said with wide eyes, shaking himself somewhat. "You're _Kaiba's_ chauffeur?" Oh man... That was...

 

"Holy shit," he muttered, momentarily missing whatever Matsuda said in response. The only other time he'd seen this guy as 'Honda's soon to be brother-in-law' was back at Burger World when the guy had been outside, on the other side of the window, mostly covered in snow... It was pretty easy to say that two and two didn't come together at that time as a result, given that he'd looked completely different as a chauffeur.

 

There was a few more moments of silence, before Matsuda coughed and took a few steps forward. "Ah... Hiroto," he asked with a slight shrug, having apparently figured things out rather quickly and decided to simply move on. "Do you think I could get into the house?" The teen blinked, before nodding his head as the three were pulled back to reality.

 

"Right! Right, ah..." He tossed the key over, Matsuda bowing his head in thanks before waving as he left for the door. "Here!"

 

"I'll see you later then," he said as he looked back. "Hiroto, Jonouchi..." And Matsuda didn't know Yugi, so that was probably what the third 'nod' was for...

 

The others watched as Matsuda opened the door and went into the house, standing in silence for a while before slowly turning to look at each other. Okay. "Well," Honda said with a somewhat exasperated sigh, shaking his head as they made to leave the driveway again. "That was weird..." "Yeah..." Yeah, it was...

 

Katsuya shook himself off, scratching his head and turning to the others. "So... Arcade?" he asked, Yugi nodding in response.

 

"That sounds good," the boy said with a smile, the three heading off down the street in the direction of the arcade and Yugi's house both. "I hear they have a new game there..."

 

Honda nodded, smirking slightly as they headed off. "Yep- watched them put it in when I was babysitting Jouji actually..." Oh did he now? ...What was Jouji doing in...

 

...Never mind.

 

"It looked pretty good actually," he said with evident surprise, shaking his head and narrowing his eyes in thought. "I think it was called 'Ninja Ninja Revolution'..." The other two blinked, looking at their friend somewhat incredulously. Wait what..? Like... 'DDR' except...

 

...What...

 

Katsuya frowned, the expression set firmly in place as he finally found the words to say. "What th' hell kind 'f game is that?"

 

"I don't know," he said with a shrug, pushing in the button for the crosswalk. "It looks like any other DDR machine, just with footprints and the word 'ninja' on the side. I'm just saying, it doesn't look too bad..." Yeaaaaah...

 

"It sounds interesting at least," Yugi said somewhat optimistically, turning to look down the street as they walked further down. "I mean... If they installed it in the arcade then it has to be somewhat good right?" He... Guessed so?

 

They stopped at the next crosswalk, looking off at the slightly distant 'Black Clown' building across from them. The tarp was hanging by one string on the building, blowing slightly in the wind- unveiling quite the eye-catching structure. "Heh... Speakin' of interestin'," Katsuya said with a grin, looking back at Honda as the other two narrowed their eyes at the giant black-eyed clown.

 

He continued to laugh, Honda in question pulling his attention from the enormous and eerie looking clown with narrowed eyes. "What the hell are you trying to say Jonouchi..."

 

"'Ninja Ninja Revolution'. That's what I'm tryin' t' say. Seriously," he said with a laugh as they crossed the street, holding his head. "Who thought 'f that name!"

 

"Damn it Jonouchi!"

 

"Hey, Honda-kun, Jonouchi-kun..." The two turned, moving to where Yugi was looking at a sign outside the building. Ah, he'd run ahead... Yugi looked back at them, smiling. "They have an opening date now!" Eh? They had a set date?

 

They moved closer, reading over the sign blankly. "'Black Clown Gaming Store, opening April Seventh... Huh," Katsuya said, looking back up at the enormous 'clown'. Besides the fact that they finally knew what the hell this place was... "Game store eh?" About time the clearly finished building get a set opening...

 

"Right across from your house," Honda muttered, looking back at the Kame Game and letting out a long sigh. "That's not going to be helping profits..."

 

Yugi nodded, laughing somewhat nervously. "Yeah," he said in agreement, "Grandpa isn't going to be too happy about this..."

 

"It looks like they're offering some kind of 'store exclusive' though," Honda said as he looked at the sign, turning to the others. "Uh... 'Dungeon Dice Monsters'?" Yugi appeared to stare somewhat eagerly at the poster with those words, the same 'flickering' shadow briefly appearing beside him before vanishing. Probably a trick of the light...

 

Katsuya looked down at Yugi, blinking it off before giving a wry smirk. "...Yer still goin' huh..."

 

He nodded, continuing to stare at the die-decorated poster before laughing. "Yep!"

 

"Ohhh man..." He knew where he'd be on the seventh then... "This'll be way harder than when we went t' th' departm'nt store f'r cards..." Way way way harder...

 

* * *

 

The morning of White Day was probably something everyone in the school building was anticipating, particularly those whose attentions were on class 1-B. "Erm... Here you go Matsuoka-san," Bakura said nervously as he gave a box of chocolate to each of the women who had swarmed him a month before. "And, erm, this one's for you Nosaka-san, I hope you like it... Ah..."

 

Needless to say, this was not the kind of morning that went well for Bakura's nerves. Katsuya shook his head from his seat, Honda and Yugi watching as Bakura ran about the room handing boxes to each of the people who'd given him chocolate. For the most part it was being rather well received... The one on the receiving end of the chocolate bowed politely in thanks, put the chocolate in her bag, and Bakura hurried off to the next desk with hopes that he wouldn't run out of time. A few even seemed surprised to be getting chocolate at all, and turned entirely scarlet despite full awareness that everyone was going to get one. Though...

 

There _was_ that one girl who looked at the box rather quietly before leaving for the washroom... Before a few other girls gave a glare to a rather unnerved and guilty looking Bakura...

 

The albino collapsed on a chair beside them after he handed out the last box, sighing. "Hah... That was so confusing," he said somewhat sadly, shaking his head as the others stared. "I think one of them's quite angry with me..."

 

Honda shook his head, crossing his arms. "Honestly Bakura," he said with a small sigh, "I think you should just call in sick on Valentines..." Agreed- Seeing Bakura as a nervous wreck, while not weird per-say was... Not normal. "...What exactly did you do the other years though?" he added, frowning. Oh, that was a good question.

 

Bakura turned to them, blinking. "Erm... Well that's the thing," he said somewhat awkwardly, looking to the side as he coughed. "I don't actually remember anything from the other Valentines days so... I decided not to think about it," he continued, subconsciously rubbing his left-hand. Oh.

 

...OHHHHH...

 

Shit. The others paled, staring for a few moments before awkwardly turning to the front as Anzu came in. "Ahhh... Hey, Yugi," Katsuya said with a cough, before jerking his head toward the woman. Time to change the subject! Go go go! "You gonna..."

 

Yugi turned, jumping somewhat before pulling something from his bag. "R-Right..." The boy swallowed, coughing somewhat nervously and turning toward the front. "Ah... Anzu!" he called, the woman coming over just as he stood from his desk. He swallowed, slightly red in the face as he held out a box. "Ah... I didn't have enough yen for two chocolates," he muttered as he handed it over, scratching the back of his neck as the woman took it.

 

"Ah..." She stared somewhat, taking the box before smiling. "...It's fine," she said sweetly, putting the box in her bag and leaning down somewhat. "The other you wouldn't know about White Day right? Besides," she said as the bell rang, kissing the boy on the cheek as the others stared. "One box is plenty, wouldn't you say?"

 

She moved to take her seat, Yugi slowly turning to the others as his face went beet red. Did...

 

She just...

 

' _Hey... That was... Aibou!_ ' a voice called over the air, Katsuya growing pale as he heard it, ' _I think you have a clear shot at this!_ ' The blond coughed, hurriedly turning down to his desk as the other Yugi's voice came through the room. Alright, what the hell damn it, this was way beyond what he'd finally accepted as 'normal'!

 

"Oiiiii... Jonouchi?" Honda asked, Bakura looking as well as the blond turned to them in response. "You alright?" he said somewhat jokingly, "You look like you've seen a ghost!" Don't even say that damn it...

 

Yugi blinked, frowning somewhat as he lost the red-shade on his face. "Jonouchi-kun," he asked, Katsuya still somewhat pale as he looked them over. "Is... ...Something wrong..? ...Are you alright?"

 

The blond stared, eyes drifting off to the side as a shadowed, misting figure appeared to double off his friend for a few moments before fading out. Two... He could have sworn...

 

"...Y ...Yeah," he finally said, looking at the front as the teacher walked in. He saw both at the same... At the... "...Yeah I'm fine..."

 

* * *

 

Getting back to the house that night probably happened faster than it ever had before that day, or so it seemed to him. Mostly it involved him awkwardly using the excuse of calling his sister to avoid being questioned on the intense paranoia he'd had for pretty much the entire day after that. Though...

 

It definitely didn't help that he kept hearing weird rumbling sounds from Bakura's desk. Which seemed to have no source. But there was no way the ring was _back_ right? The blond suppressed a shudder as he took off his shoes in the foyer, banishing the thought from mind. Right... No way in hell. Maybe there was just something going on with the puzzle, who knew...

 

...Though with his luck this was going to turn into something similar to the duel tables...

 

The blond sighed, walking over to the hall and watching a rather breathless Mokuba come from another room. "...Mokuba?" he asked, raising his eyebrows as he looked the boy over. "Y' look..." The blond shook his head, frowning as he changed his words around. "What happened t' you?"

 

The boy turned, before joining the blond as they walked toward the 'Breakfast room' with a few gasps. "Ran home," he said somewhat tiredly, shaking his head and continuing to breath deeply. "One of the girls... Really didn't like not getting anything back apparently..."

 

Katsuya blinked, staring for a few moments. He got chased home..? What? "Er... Y' need any help with that?" he asked somewhat hesitantly, frowning. (Chased home, what?)

 

He shook his head, pulling himself onto a stool with a sigh. "No... I'll be alright," he said with a shrug, "There's only two weeks left before school's out right?" Well, he supposed so... "...She runs really fast though," he added with a shudder, Katsuya staring a few more moments before grabbing the phone. Mokuba snapped out of his shuddering, turning as the blond moved to pull a seat out. "Hn... Who're you calling?"

 

"Shizuka," he said as he took a seat, leaning against the counter. The blond frowned, slowly looking back at Mokuba from the phone. "...Hey," he asked, adjusting his seat and continuing to frown. "Seto-chan knows you're here right..?"

 

The boy paled, quickly running from the room with a shout with those words. "Ack! I forgot about that!"

 

"O-Oii!" He leaned over the counter, Mokuba having long since fled the room. "Wouldn' it be faster t' jus... Call..?"

 

...Well, not like he actually had a number that would get the message through fast enough...

 

Oh well. He punched in the number for Shizuka, leaning against the counter. Now that he thought about it, if Shizuka couldn't see, how did she answer the phone last ti-

 

" _Moshi moshi?_ "

 

He grinned, deciding to push the thought from mind as his sister's voice came through the other end. "Hey, Shizuka! ...Did you get the bandages off yet?" he asked, crossing his arms on the counter. First things first, it was a month later after all...

 

There was a bit of silence, some shuffling sounds coming on the other end. " _Actually Nihan,_ " she began, the blond growing pale at the tone. " _I'm not supposed to touch them until at least the end of the week..._ " He blinked, the cold feeling quickly vanishing.

 

...Oh.

 

" _But I'll let you know how things go after I take them off alright?_ " He nodded, grinning. As long as there was a chance the surgery worked...

 

"Hah... Alright then," he said, looking at the phone and nodding. "Sounds good! So," he continued, staring off at the wall. "How are things over there?"

 

" _Pretty good_ ," she said calmly, " _I'm getting a little better at Duel Monsters_ ," the girl continued, tone picking up somewhat with her cheer." _I've even got my own deck!_ " She had... Eh? But, but how... " _Keichi-kun is helping a little with that of course,_ " she said with a slight laugh, likely shaking her head. " _Telling me what the cards look like in the booster packs, what their stats are..._ " He was really starting to not like this 'Keichi' guy... " _Ah, that reminds me,_ " she continued, sounding clearly excited about something, " _He actually gave be some chocolate with the packs!_ "

 

Pbbbbtttt- what!

 

The blond froze, gripping the edge of the counter as his sister went on. " _He's a lot nicer than he comes off in class..._ " This boy. This boy was dead damn it, DEAD. " _Katsuya-nihan?_ " Shizuka continued, somewhat snapping the blond from his tense stare at the counter. " _Did you end up getting anything on Valentines day?_ " E-Eh..? Um... " _Are you going to be giving anyone chocolate?_ " she continued innocently, waiting for her response.

 

Katsuya quickly coughed, going somewhat red. "Er... Y-Yeah actually," he said somewhat quietly, coughing again. "Kinda tryin' t' give it t' her in secret though, since she's a lil'... Testy abou' things... Um..." There was a small bit of silence on the other end, as though a small, broken smile was being sent through the phone in response.

 

" _...I see..._ " Urk... Um... No really, Seto was really testy about... Things... " _Well,_ " she said, mood appearing to pick up somewhat, " _The only way I could really recommend nihan, is mailing it... But I don't think that's really an option right now..._ " Yeah... Not really.

 

"Eh... Thanks anyway Shizuka..." He shook his head, looking at the clock on the side before leaning back on the seat. Hnnn... Hadn't been too long, but at the same time if he was going to keep his mom off his back about homework... "Talk t' yah later alright?" he said, watching as Mokuba walked back in to sit beside him.

 

" _Alright Katsuya-nihan..._ " There was a slight pause, before the girl added a little more. " _Good bye_!"

 

"Bye..." There was a small beeping noise as the connection was cut, the blond clacking the phone back into place on the side before slumping back down in his seat. "Aaaaaaaauuugh... What th' hell 'm I gonna do..."

 

Mokuba shrugged from beside his friend, having been busy pulling books from his bag for homework. "Don't ask me," he said with a frown, opening one of the books up to get his homework over with. "I don't even know what we're talking about! ...So," he continued, propping his head on his arm and turning to the blond. "What are we talking about..?"

 

"Nothin'," he said with a slight groan, hopping from the stool and leaving the room as Mokuba stared after. "Jus' nothin'..."

 

* * *

 

Things had gone very well from the 26th of January on. Extremely well, actually. Possibly better than when she'd taken over the company and turned it over to game technology as opposed to warfare. For one, thanks to the fact that (for the most part) her board had spent the last number of months doing next to nothing, the fact that they were now dead and gone affected very little on the business thing. Things were running more than smoothly, and since she hadn't seen fit to ever trust the morons with what their titles would normally entail, it was merely work as usual. She was the CEO, and she held the responsibility...

 

And while she should probably replace the positions eventually, with drafts for postings in the works, there was no rush just now. As for the 'missing' staff... Well, other than a bit of questioning on disappearances and such, everything had been dealt with completely. In fact, the questioning only lasted a few weeks before the lack of evidence turned up nothing...

 

It was ultimately assumed after all, that the board had high-tailed it out of there; the only 'real' issue had come from Ota, since apparently someone actually cared about him enough to keep pressing for his whereabouts. She found herself a little surprised- one part because there was a family that actually cared enough to press. Another because, given that Ota was far from the only married man from that board of directors, she half expected at least one other widowed spouse to come pounding in frustration at the office door.

 

But what was done was done. They were gone- And she was here. They would never be coming back, which meant that she would have nothing to worry about outside the company save finding a way to beat Yugi at his own game, on her own time.

 

Preferably soon, all things considered. And with this, she screwed in a few things on the prototype of the second version of her duel disk. Definitely with _this_. The woman leaned back on her seat, looking over the device before moving it to the side. She couldn't test it now sadly. The device that would power it hadn't been completed just yet, same with the programming for the new cards she'd purchased recently. It wouldn't take long though...

 

Not long.

 

Despite all her calm for the time being, Mokuba had given her a just a 'bit' of a scare when he hadn't been at the school. At least she'd gotten a call from Kyouko seconds after arriving to find out. Her heart would have taken a bit longer to settle other wise. In any case...

 

Seto pulled a large sketch-book from the side of the desk, flipping it open while turning on her computer. A year ago she probably wouldn't have even thought of doing this, what the design on these pages entailed. While it had everything to do with Blue-Eyes, it had nothing to do with 'KaibaLand', or the company. If anything it was no better than customizing a car for show. But looking over the design now...

 

It was going to be the best damn private jet in existence when it was done. "Hn!" She snorted, logging into the desktop as she recalled the 'reason' she'd thought of this. ' _Have fun once in a while_ '... Fine, she'd do just that! "...Moron..." These designs were completely ready to be built on now. The cost of the plane itself determined, materials ordered in along with the building itself...

 

With luck she could test drive it in May she decided, putting the book down to move onto what she had intended on doing on her computer. That would be good. And it had two seats, which meant Mokuba could come...

 

_-kots-kots_

 

"Hnn?" Seto looked up from her designs, putting them to the side as knocking came from the other end of the study. She frowned, silent for a moment as the sound came through the air again. Alright... The woman moved from her chair, the sides clacking against the desk as she moved toward the door. Maybe it was Mokuba? No one else would be knocking while she was in here, though she wasn't sure if Mokuba would be inclined to knock either...

 

She opened the door, frowning as she was met with nothing. "What?" Who the hell..? The sound of footsteps caught her attention, the woman turning only to see a slight 'blur' disappear down the hall. What was this a prank? _Seriously_? She looked down, eyebrows raising as she bent down to pick up a small box from the ground.

 

The frown vanished, Seto flipping the box over and looking over the label. "..." This was... Chocolate. The damn mutt got her a... "Hnhnh _nhnhn..._ " She shook her head, shutting the door and returning to her desk. "Hahah _ahaha..._ " Haaaah...

 

"...What a moron..."

 


	10. The Girl From America

 

Though White Day had long since passed, the 'panic' in the classroom was far from completely over and done with. True, 'year end exams' had long since finished, with the Class President and teachers (not to mention parents) both finally off everyone's backs about studying. And while it was certainly a lot less tense than the year prior in Katsuya's opinion, it was good to have that behind them now. Sure, everyone was screaming about the entrance exams the year before, rather than exams in general...

 

But exams were exams. Briefly the blond wondered how his sister would be getting around that- the bandages were supposedly off by this point, and given that she herself would be entering high-school...

 

Of course, now that the exams were done and gathered and marked, there was the marks themselves to worry about, which easily pulled Katsuya's concerns elsewhere. It went without saying that he hadn't done too well this time around either after all. Well enough to make it into the next grade, but... Not well enough to even _begin_ to make his mom too happy with the results.

 

Which was why he was making sure to stay as far away from the phone as possible damn it, at least for the next two weeks. Despite that bit of panic calming down however, there was still one particular subject that had not only him, but even Seto herself sitting on the side decidedly confused. And although he wouldn't really call said panic a ' _panic_ ', given that he, Honda, and Yugi had pretty much treated it as they did for the summer exams (with a pen in hand for 'Bingo'), this was probably a legitimate matter of concern.

 

At least on the part of the one bringing it up.

 

"So," Mokuba said at dinner that evening, finishing off his food and looking across the table at his sister. "What was middle school like?" They might not have shared a glance on that subject (since when the hell did they share glances at all?), but they might as well have in those few moments. Seto stared blankly as her brother brought the question up, blinking a few times while the room fell silent.

 

"...Mokuba," she finally said, expression largely unreadable as she stared back at the boy. "...I never went to middle school..." Yeah, that was probably going to put a plug on the advice, wasn't it...

 

The boy blinked, mouth hanging slightly for a silent 'ohhhhhhh' before Katsuya shrugged. "Eh... If you can't help, that doesn't mean I can't help though, righ'?" He smirked, leaning somewhat on the table as Mokuba turned to him. Hehehe... Finally something he could answer that Seto couldn't. "Ask away, this'll be no problem!"

 

There was a snort from the side, Katsuya turning an unimpressed stare to Seto as the woman smirked. Oh, what, she suddenly had something? "Hn! And what do you think your advice will do?" she said with usual dark humor, "Teach him to fail his classes and get in fights?" Oi oi, that was a low blow...

 

He growled, crossing his arms as Mokuba groaned at the side. "Hn! Then what th' hell do you suggest, if your idea is so much better?" Mokuba raised his eyebrows at that, turning to his sister as the woman blinked. Good question ahhh? Katsuya as well stared, smirk falling for a blank expression as the room fell silent once more.

 

"...Ah..." Wait...

 

He blinked, a grin slowly reforming on his face. Wait what? Did...

 

Did he actually render her speechless? The woman quickly lost the surprised expression, moving away from the table and grabbing her papers as she made to leave. "I need to finalize a few plans," she said rather bluntly, moving to the door as the blond behind her let out quiet, wheezing laughs. "Try not to interrupt my work," she continued, pulling the door open to walk out.

 

Oh god, this was beautiful! Ahahaha! The door to the hall closed shut, the sound followed by Mokuba's head slamming into the table with a groan.

 

"Hnnnnnngg..." Oh. Funny as it was, it didn't fix anything huh... "O-Oii," Katsuya said somewhat nervously, grin still in place as he turned to the boy, "I'm still here aren't I?" Hey, he could still help!

 

He looked up, before nodding somewhat and leaning back on his chair. "I guess... But no offense Katsuya-nii," he said with a frown, "Nee-sama has a point... Wasn't middle school where you met 'Hirutani'?" Well... Yeah but... Oh come on, that didn't make him completely useless...

 

The blond frowned, leaning back in his chair. Still, good point good point... Hnn... "Well... Jus' use common sense then," he said with a grin, looking back at the boy. "...An' don' insult anyone bigger than yah," he added with a cough, rubbing the back of his neck. "Probably somethin' t' avoid as well..." Mokuba blinked, a rather unimpressed stare in place in the face of the 'advice'. "...Will do, Katsuya-nii..."

 

"Well what d'yah wanna know then?" Katsuya asked, giving a slight 'shrug of defeat'. "Probably help t' know what's buggin' yah..."

 

The boy leaned back on his chair, frowning. "Well... There are a few things," he said calmly, before turning. "But... Well... A lot of the other guys in the class keep mentioning a hair restriction," he continued, leaning on his arm. "And when I looked into it, the site for Domino's middle school said that the limit is five centimetres past the shoulders..." He bit his lip, scratching his head and looking at the table. "I kinda like leaving my hair long, so..." Oooooh... That one. That one, he wouldn't really know...

 

Katsuya frowned, crossing his arms in thought. "Hnn... Yer right on that," he muttered, narrowing his eyes for a moment. "They do have restrictions... But y' know," he said with a smile, looking back to the boy with a grin as he remembered something, "Bakura's _way_ past th' limit, an' he's left alone completely!"

 

Mokuba blinked, eyes wide. "Really?" he asked somewhat excitedly, before frowning. "...Are you sure that's not because of... You know?" Katsuya blinked, staring briefly. You kn-

 

...Oh. Yeaaaaaaah... The ring. Hahah...

 

He coughed for a moment, before shrugging it off with a slight shudder. That couldn't be the reason, it couldn't... "Eh... Seein' how that was a good few months back," he said somewhat slowly, attempting to convince himself of the fact, "I'm pretty sure that ain't th' case. 'Sides," he added with a nod, expression brightening. "Karita didn' even r'member all 'f that, and he still ain't doing anything about it! So it _can't_ be that."

 

"I guess you're right," Mokuba said with a nod, moving from the chair with another shrug. In all honesty, they were long since done the meal.

 

"I could call 'm if y' want," Katsuya continued, hands in his pockets as he followed the boy out of the room. "I mean... I don' think he's too busy now that exams are over," he added, scratching his head. "He was pretty much impossible t' contact durin' exam hell," he muttered, frowning somewhat. And at the end of it all, they found out why. Bakura...

 

Had gotten the near top marks in the class. Damn it...

 

Mokuba nodded, looking up at the blond as they moved down the hall. "That sounds good," he said with a smile, leaning back somewhat. "When is he free?" he asked, Katsuya stopping in the hall for a moment.

 

"Eh..." Good question. Ahh... "He should be free this Sunday actually," he said, staring up for a moment before looking back at the boy. Bakura didn't seem to do much else. And he wasn't in any clubs at school so... "I'm gonna be goin' t' Yugi's that afternoon," he continued with a slight nod, "If y' want, I could take yah to his apartment on th' way." Again the boy nodded, hands held behind his head as he looked up. He was getting a little taller actually. Hard to tell, but if he stood beside Yugi...

 

"You could just give him our address," he said plainly, blinking a few times as he continued. "I mean... It's not like that won't work just as well right?" Well, he guessed that made sense too...

 

"Right... I'll go give 'm a call then," he said, giving the boy a wave. "I gotta get ready f'r work too though," he added, Mokuba nodding in response. "So I won' see yah for th' next bit... G'night then, alrigh'?"

 

The boy nodded, waving him off before leaving for the rec room. "Right! Thanks, Katsuya-nii!"

 

"Heh!" He smirked, heading off down the hall. "No problem!"

 

* * *

 

Needless to say, Katsuya had been right. Bakura was indeed free on Sunday afternoon that week, and was apparently more than happy to help when the blond called him. As to when Katsuya had called... Well, there was a phone in the security room.

 

The point was, Bakura had agreed to come by and talk. Which was why that afternoon, Mokuba found himself waving the blond off before leading the albino inside the house through the front gate. "Thank you for inviting me in," Bakura said politely as the door shut behind them, the both of them taking their shoes off. "Your house is incredible! ...If you don't mind me saying," he added, holding his shoes as he looked at the boy. "Ah... Where should I..."

 

"Over here," Mokuba called out, leading the teen to the coat room and handing him a pair of slippers. "You can use Katsuya-nii's slippers for now," he continued, switching his own shoes out and pulling on his slippers as well. "He tends to just walk around in his socks anyways..."

 

Bakura blinked, before nodding and taking the slippers. "Again, thank-you," he stated, the boy merely shrugging in response as his guest put the slippers on.

 

"Well it was this or your apartment," he said, leading Bakura toward the rec. room. "So really, either way would have worked. Besides," he added with a short laugh, grinning somewhat. "It's not like you're going to kill me or something right? The ring is gone now!" There was a small smile in response to this, his guest nodding in what appeared to be agreement. Yeah... There was no way!

 

...Though that expression...

 

The boy shook it off, continuing toward the rec. room and pushing the door open. The two sat down on the couch, Bakura coughing slightly. "Actually, now that you say that," he said somewhat nervously, Mokuba turning to the teen curiously, "Honda-kun has been looking at me with that sort of expectation it feels like... It's rather unnerving actually," he added with a frown, "It's had me on edge since we got back from the Duelist Kingdom!" Ah...

 

Really? ...But why would Honda... "Well... It's probably nothing right?" he said, pulling his legs up on the couch and again pushing the thought from mind. "I mean," he continued with a slight laugh, "You'd have said something if there really was a problem, especially after last time!"

 

Another nod, the albino's smile appearing more genuine. Phew... And here he almost thought something was wrong. "Of course! Now," he continued, folding his hands politely across his lap. "Jonouchi-kun said that you wanted to ask me a few things about middle school?"

 

Mokuba nodded, pausing for a brief moment as the question was asked. The smile seemed real but... Something seemed... Off... About Bakura somehow. He couldn't figure out what... Maybe something in his eyes... But something... He shook it off mentally, pushing it out of mind. Probably nothing... Had to be nothing, right? "Ah... Yeah," he finally said, nodding again. "I was just wondering, if you had any advice..." On anything really... "Katsuya-nii doesn't really have the best track record," the boy continued with a slight cough, "And nii-sama never went to middle school... So..."

 

"Ahh, I see..." Bakura leaned back on the couch, silent for a brief moment. "Well," he began somewhat quietly, "I have to admit... My own time in middle school likely wasn't much better to tell the truth." It wasn't? As Mokuba blinked, a somewhat confused expression in place, the albino continued. "I was often teased for my hair colour you see," he said calmly, bowing his head somewhat, "And often times when it seemed I had finally made friends, it would turn out that they were speaking badly behind my back... And of course," he added somewhat lowly, looking away to the side, "When I finally started making true friends..." They were sealed in figurines. Right...

 

Um... There was a bit of silence, before Bakura turned back to look at the boy.

 

"In any case," he continued, expression somewhat severe, "The most important thing is to not let anyone tell you what you should do; the way that you live is your business," Bakura said calmly, somehow holding his polite tone despite the words. "And no matter what," he continued with a slight frown, "You should live the way you want to... Understand?" Hahaha... Yeah but...

 

"That's easy for you to say," Mokuba said with a small laugh, before turning back. "Katsuya-nii said you have an entire fan-club... I don't think they'd let any complaint's get through!" Though something told him that being a 'Kaiba' would result in a similar reaction... Personally, he'd rather avoid any kind of 'fanclub' reaction though. Bakura merely gained an oddly 'cheerful' smile, eyes closed as he shook his head.

 

"I stand by my words- don't worry about a thing," he said 'nicely', Mokuba frowning somewhat and looking at the albino oddly. That smile... "If you don't buckle into what others think," he continued with a short nod, "Then nothing bad will happen in the long run... And if you do happen to run into trouble," he added, tone taking an oddly dark turn as he spoke, "Just ask me for help... I'll see what I can do. Alright, Mokuba?" This...

 

The boy swallowed, staring for a moment. The words had good intentions but... This...

 

This didn't sound like Bakura... "Erm..." He nodded slowly, growing somewhat pale as he attempted to find a response. Maybe Bakura was just having a weird day? Something? ...Hopefully? "T-Thanks?"

 

"What are you doing here?" Ah! The two turned as Seto walked into the room, the woman crossing her arms and glaring rather dangerously at Bakura from the door. Talk about timing.

 

Bakura merely blinked, smiling somewhat oddly as Mokuba continued frowning nervously from beside him. "Oh, nothing," he said calmly, standing up from the couch as he spoke. "Jonouchi-kun thought I would be able to help Mokuba-kun prepare for Middle School..." A fact that apparently didn't sit well with Seto, if the slight 'twitch' in expression was any sign. "I'll leave now," the teen added, bowing politely to Mokuba. "Good luck, Mokuba-kun!" he said with the 'standard' and cheery tone that the albino was known for, waving somewhat. "I hope you do well in Middle School!"

 

With that he moved past Seto, the woman giving a narrowed glare as the albino left. Silence settled rather awkwardly over the room, the only sound the clock on the side. "...Mokuba," the woman eventually said, turning back to the boy and walking toward the couch. Mokuba merely blinked, watching as his sister took a seat beside him. As much as he didn't like the reaction most people got when his sister came in the room... He had to say this time he felt grateful, for some reason. Seto crossed her arms, frowning somewhat as the boy remained silent. "...What has you so worried about school that you would turn to someone worse than the mutt for help?" Worse?

 

He blinked, staring. Bakura 'worse' than Katsuya? That was a first. Though Seto didn't really know Bakura he supposed. And given that the most detailed description had involved what happened in September despite what any further meetings involved...

 

The boy looked back at the ground, frowning. Either way. "...It's nothing," he finally muttered, shaking his head. Seto blinked, raising her eyebrows somewhat as she leaned against the couch.

 

"If it's 'nothing'," she said rather plainly, "Then what was he doing here?" The boy continued to frown, crossing his arms. Alright. So his sister caught him on that then, and that was expected... But still!

 

"If I tell you," he said somewhat testily, looking back at the woman for a moment. "You'll do something over the top about it..."

 

His sister crossed her legs, expression still fairly identical to what it had been coming into the room. "...Hn... I doubt that," she muttered, eyes closing over for a moment. "The most I would do would be what was necessary," she continued, the boy merely staring. Hnn...

 

And what was Death-T then? Mokuba continued to frown, sticking with a more 'peaceful' memory for his defense instead. Death-T...

 

Didn't count anyway, not with how his sister was now. "Neesama," he muttered, expression clearly revealing how unimpressed he was. "When I finally told you the reason why I wasn't at school on White Day," he said somewhat lowly, "You acted almost as though Tamaki was trying to murder me..." Quite frankly Tamaki was probably lucky she was still going to have a house, let alone getting out of things completely.

 

The woman beside him tensed somewhat, visibly gaining a stiffer expression as she clenched her arms. "...It wasn't nearly that extreme,"she muttered, Mokuba shaking his head at the paper thin defense. "However," she continued, turning to the boy again, "...I would like to know what's worrying you so much." Mokuba blinked a few times, and the woman continued on. "I might not have actually attended Middle School," she said quietly, "But I would still rather not sit on the sidelines about this." Ah...

 

...Right... He understood then. Mokuba stared for a few moments more, before closing his eyes and nodding. Alright. He supposed it wouldn't hurt to ask. "I guess... I'm not really worried so much about school," he finally muttered, shrugging somewhat. Really, it couldn't be much better or worse than elementary right? "It's more about..." He sighed, looking back at his sister. He didn't want to ask her for help on this since most of the time, 'help' was a little intense but... "...I was looking online at the rules and regulations for school," he finally said quietly, his sister listening calmly as he spoke. "And there's a restriction on hair length..." The woman didn't bat an eye, merely nodding. "Hn... I'll handle that then," she said, Mokuba laughing somewhat nervously. He...

 

He hadn't finished... "I... I don't want to make a scene nee-sama..." Really, his last name did that enough...

 

His sister merely nodded again, expression still the same as it had been before. "I'll still handle it."

 

"N-Nee-sama," he continued, scratching his head, "They actually have the right to send me to the office to get it cut off..." Which was kind of scary when he thought about it, but really... "I... I don't think-"

 

"Trust me," Seto continued, crossing her legs and leaning back on the couch with a dark smirk. "They won't." In the end he supposed, it was probably best to leave it at that. Even if he had wanted to press further however, a single startling thought that occurred to him at just that moment was holding him back. A few moments ago, before Seto had come back into the room...

 

When Bakura said his name...

 

He didn't say 'kun'.

 

* * *

 

As expected, Seto ultimately proved to be the most helpful in regards to the issue of 'Middle School'.

 

While she certainly didn't experience it herself, it appeared that this wasn't really something that would help the situation anyways. Mokuba seemed more set on experiencing it for himself rather than following someone else's guidelines, and more concerned with the rules and regulations themselves. Though the knowledge that there would be 'no problems' concerning the 'hair concern' didn't make graduation itself any easier, or at least that was the image that Katsuya seemed to be getting from Mokuba as he and the others stood outside his school.

 

Suffice to say, this was probably the closest thing to 'formal' he owned, what he was wearing right now... And while he didn't know exactly how Mokuba felt about the graduation, he figured it was about as much as he felt now.

 

Namely bored out of his skull as the Principal of the school gave what felt like his third speech. On the bright side the ceremony itself had been somewhat quick. Well, compared to the one that he himself remembered, and at least he hadn't been stuck sitting alone with Seto the entire time during the current one. Then again, something told him that Yugi coming along didn't exactly ease the pressure of things, not to mention everyone else tagging along as well.

 

Namely Honda, Anzu... Sugoroku... In the end, the only one who wasn't there was Bakura, who had said something about feeling out of place. Something Seto apparently wanted everyone else to feel as well... Having mentioned a few times that it was _her_ brother, and while she could understand why Mokuba's 'employee' would want to come she didn't see why the _others_ had to come as well.

 

Needless to say what with everyone flat out saying that they were staying for the ceremony anyways, and Seto sending each of them a rather aggravated look in response, it was probably for the best that the woman had been called out shortly after the main ceremony and speech was over and done with in order to deal with an accident one of her staff had been in. She had apparently wanted Mokuba to come along as well if the conversation they had on the side was any sign...

 

But Mokuba had refused, if the slight (albeit extremely difficult to detect) disappointment she had in response was proof at all. It meant wouldn't be a one-sided 'rival stare down' between Seto and Yugi though, so there were small victories to be had. Though it was beginning to feel like he'd have still seen the stare down, if the constantly materializing 'second Yugi' was any sign...

 

Complications all aside, that was what had them outside for the moment, waiting for the classes to give their final speeches and let the kids loose. ...Moment being the key word, Mokuba running out with a wide grin with his bag and things in hand.

 

"Hahaha! Guys!" The others blinked, before grinning as the boy ran over, bag swinging behind him. "Haha... Thanks for coming to my graduation everyone," he said with a smile, the others merely nodding in response. "I guess now I'll be in a uniform just like all of you guys huh," he added with a grin, stretching somewhat with his arms behind his head.

 

"Hehehe, got that right," Katsuya said with a grin, the group slowly turning to walk down the side walk. "What school are y' goin' to anyways, there are like... Three aren't there?" The boy merely smirked, shaking his head. "Hehehe... That's a secret! You'll find out next week," he continued with a grin, the others turning for a moment at that. S-Secret?

 

Clearly it was going to be the school beside theirs then. "Hnnn... If y' say so," he 'muttered', shaking his head. "So," he continued with a grin, "What now?" he asked, shifting his grip on his school bag as they walked. "S... Kaiba's probably not gonna be back until whatever that call was abou' 's sorted out so-"

 

"Ah, about that..." Mokuba blinked, looking up as they stopped at a crosswalk. "Apparently, on top of the secretary getting in an accident," he explained, the others turning curiously, "Well... She's also being accused of having _caused_ the accident..." The boy rubbed his head, laughing nervously and shaking his head. "So nii-sama wasn't really able to get out of things because of that..." More than likely because Seto herself was going to make it personal now, but oooooh, that sucked...

 

"Hey, Mokuba," Honda asked, craking his neck somewhat. "Speaking of your brother... Did he really have to tell us off for coming, I mean..." He shook his head, frowning. "It wasn't like we were trying to ruin anything..."

 

The boy shrugged, shaking his head. "I know," he said, blinking. "But nii-sama isn't really too used to all of you just yet... Hah, remember?" he continued with a grin, laughing, "The last time we were all in a group, we were giving you a ride back from Pegasus' castle, and you picked up a 'hitch-hiker'... Unless you want to remind him that we broke into the company building," he added, the grin widening.

 

"Haha _ha_ , you know what," Honda said, shaking his head as the others smirked, "I think I'll just go with your brother not liking us."

 

"Heh! Good plan," Katsuya said with a laugh, shaking his head as they stopped at the crosswalk. The group waited patiently, watching as Sugoroku moved forward to push the button for the light. The old man calmly waited for the light to change, turning to the others as the cars drove past.

 

"So," he said with a smile, arms crossed behind his back as he looked at Mokuba. "I imagine that your brother should be quite proud of you," he continued, bowing his head somewhat. "You left that school with top marks, good for you!" Mokuba nodded, grinning as Katsuya laughed behind him.

 

"Hah! Yeah, unlike me nyh?"

 

"Oh god... That's not even funny," Anzu said with a slightly humored groan, shaking her head and laughing. "Jonouchi, you, Honda, and Yugi got such low grades, I didn't think we'd all end up in the same class..." Come on, they weren't that bad...

 

"O-Oi," he muttered, laughing quietly.

 

"A-Anzu," Yugi said quietly, the woman still shaking her head. Honda as well groaned, shaking his head.

 

"S-Seriously..?"

 

"Anyways," Sugoroku said rather gruffly as they crossed the street, pulling the conversation back to himself as Mokuba snickered in the background. "Since this is such a big event," he continued, "I think we should celebrate! Now," the man muttered, turning to the boy, "I don't know if you already have anything planned..." Mokuba and Katsuya both shook their heads, dropping the subject of marks completely with the topic.

 

"Not any more," Mokuba said with a wince, rubbing his head. "Nii-sama's going to be busy for at least two hours now thanks to that accident..." There'd probably still be a dinner but... Not for a while to say the least.

 

"Good!" Sugoroku said with a laugh, the others trading confused looks at what was apparently considered 'good'. "In that case," he shouted, grinning widely as he laughed, "Lets go wild with this!"

 

"Er... G-Grandpa," Yugi said with a slight laugh, shaking his head with worry. "Shouldn't you take it easy..? I mean... I don't think 'going wild' is really..."

 

The old man snorted, shaking his head and 'flexing' his arms. "I'm in perfectly good health, no matter what your mother says," he shouted, stretching a bit in an 'attempt' to prove the fact further. "This party will be the greatest thing since- OHH!" A loud crack came through the air and the old man winced, hands flying to his back as he stooped over. "Oh... Oh my back," he muttered, rubbing it and continuing to wince. "Ah..."

 

"G-Grandpa..."

 

"O-Oii, Jii-chan..."

 

"Jii-chan..."

 

"O-Ojii-san..."

 

"Er... Jii-san," Mokuba said with a cough, helping the old man up as the others crowded. "Are you... Are you alright..?"

 

"I'm fine," he grunted, back giving a rather loud crack as he straightened himself out. The boys jumped back with somewhat wide eyes, staring as the man made his way around the corner to the KameGame shop. "Perfectly fine," he continued with a slight wince, "Let's just get to the house, I think I have some ice..."

 

"Hey!" The five turned, blinking as a loud, accented voice came over the air. "You're Sugoroku Mutou right?" a young girl shouted, pulling a large suitcase behind her with a frown. They stared, blinking and turning briefly to the old man behind them as he shrugged. Evidently he didn't have a clue either. Er...

 

Who was this kid?

 

The girl continued to scowl, dirty blond hair pulled up into childish pigtails and 'accented' with an oversized sweater. She came toward them, adjusting her grip on the suitcase behind her and holding a teddy bear firmly in her arms before stopping before them with a rather loud 'thump' on the part of her luggage. " _My name is Rebecca_ ," she said in English, dropping the suitcase handle to cross her arms. "And you have some nerve," she continued in Japanese with a growl, "Keeping a lady waiting!"

 

They continued to stare, Mokuba raising his eyebrows. "A lady?" he asked incredulously, the others as well staring. "You can't be any older than me!" That was probably a long shot, she looked eight... True, not much shorter than Mokuba and Yugi, but...

 

The bear and the 'cutesy' clothes were really pulling his brain through a blender on this. 'Rebecca' as she was called merely glared, continuing to scowl at what was evidently a 'rough subject'. "Yes," she bit out in an almost ear-splitting tone, " _A LADY_. Anyways," she continued, the teens sharing awkward shrugs and glances while Mokuba scowled at the retort, "I came all this way from America," the girl muttered, crossing her arms and continuing to scowl. "It took you long enough to get to your own house!" Well sheesh, sorry if they had things to do! Stupid little...

 

"Wait," Katsuya muttered, shaking his head. "Yer from th' states?" the blond repeated, Rebecca turning her glare on the blond the moment he started speaking. He ignored the look, frowning. "What's a lil' girl like you doin' alone in Japan then?"

 

The girl merely snorted, adjusting her grip on the teddy bear. "I don't talk to rude people," she said rather snippily, Katsuya blinking and frowning somewhat. Sheesh, and she was calling him rude? " _And besides,_ " she continued with a somewhat smug tone, mixing it with a sickeningly sweet one as well, "I can take care of myself... I got here, didn't I?" Aaggghh, stop switching languages, he didn't know any English as it was! "Isn't that right 'Teddy-chan?" she added, smiling sweetly and turning to her bear.

 

The group merely stared, watching the girl cuddle with the teddy bear. Yeaaaah... Not helping the image there...

 

"Alright, alright," Sugoroku said, stepping forward and shaking his head. "There's no need to argue..." At least not yet, the blond added mentally. "Now then, 'Rebecca'?" he continued, "Why don't you tell me what it is you want? You wanted to ask me about something?" he asked, idly rubbing his back as he addressed the girl. Apparently...

 

Though why a kid would come all the way from the US for that was beyond him. "I want you to give it back," she said bluntly, the others tilting their heads for the most part. Give... Give what back...

 

A question on everyone's minds to say the least. "Erm... 'Give it back'?" Sugoroku repeated, blinking a few times as the girl held her hand out. "Give what back?"

 

"The Blue-Eyes White Dragon card," she shouted, the others widening their eyes. B-Blue Eyes! What! They continued to stare, shocked silent by the demand. Beside the fact that the card was rare enough for people to kill over it (something they knew...) Erm...

 

...That card was kind of-

 

"As the current duel monster's champion of the USA," she continued with narrowed eyes, before any of them could voice their confusion, "The most powerful card in existence should only naturally belong to me..." WHAT. "Don't you think, Teddy-chan?" she added, the others struck completely silent as the girl cuddled her teddy-bear. Ok...

 

Hang on... "H-Hey, jus' 'cause yer th' champion," he said with a cough, "Doesn't mean it's-" Wait. Waaaaait, back up a moment...

 

Katsuya shook himself, frowning as he re-thought the words over. "Hang on," he said with a snort, "You've gotta be what, eight?" the blond continued, laughing. "How are you-"

 

"I'm twelve," the girl spat, gritting her teeth as Katsuya jumped back. Honda and Anzu both pulled an amused smirk at the growl, shaking their heads in silent laughter despite the situation. "And yes," she continued bitterly, "I'm the current champion! What, is it so hard to believe that a 'little girl' can be the champion of a children's trading card game?" W-Well, that wasn't really what he was getting at... But...

 

Yeah. Yeah it was. He coughed, drawing back as Honda shrugged. "Hey, we're just saying," he said with a smirk, stiffling his laughter as he shook his head. "You can't blame us for finding it hard to believe..."

 

"Ooooooghhh..." Mokuba and Yugi both frowned as the girl continued to seethe, remaining mostly silent as the exchange of one-sided 'insults' continued before them. Abruptly however they both froze, eyes widening as they realized something.

 

"Ah," the older said, blinking a few times before turning to the others. "That's right," he continued, Rebecca turning from where she was glaring at the others to stare. "There was an article in a magazine about this..."

 

"Yeah, I saw that article," Mokuba added, nodding. "Nii-sama even mentioned it... 'Hawkins, Rebecca'... The child prodigy who's coming close to graduating High School already," he said with evident shock. "In addition to winning the championship title for Duel Monsters in the United States even..." He swallowed, the others staring with wide eyes. Wait... So not only was this kid legitimately the US champ but...

 

H-Hang on, high school? She was graduating! Rebecca appeared to beam for a moment, before loosing the proud smirk as the others continued. "The first champion not to be a member of the 'Card Professors'," Yugi said, staring somewhat. "And the only reason why was because-"

 

"Of my age," Rebecca shouted, eyes narrowed as she began to huff. "I know! Now," she continued, frowning and holding her hand out again. "Hand over the card you stole," she said with a snarl, "I don't want to be here any longer than I need to!" What, she have a problem with Japan or something? Geeze! Waaaiiit...

 

Hang on, he could have sworn that Seto was actually muttering something about the 'Card Professors' refusing someone...

 

Katsuya shook his head, glaring down at the kid. Right, whatever. "An' we told you," he said with a frown, "Bein' th' champion doesn' mean y' get th' card! 'Sides," he added with a smirk, "Bein' th' champion of th' states also doesn' make you th' most powerful duelist! After all," he continued with a grin, Mokuba smacking his forehead while Honda and Anzu both shook their heads at what they knew was coming. "I beat th' las' champion in December! And on top 'f that-"

 

"Yeah, second place in Japan," the girl muttered, rolling her eyes. "I know... _God_ ," she continued, crossing her arms. "Even a monkey could beat Keith Howard by this point! It's not exactly a secret that he's completely screwed over!" Oh gee thanks! The blond scowled, listening as the girl continued. "Besides... 'Second' is nothing compared to first," she said with a smirk, 'winking' with a fox's grin. "If you aren't first," she continued, glancing at Yugi for a moment as the boy drew back a little, "Then you aren't worth anything."

 

"Hnnnn..." Alright, that was it damn it! Who did this kid think she was anyways! "You little- Gh!" Katsuya scowled, everyone save Sugoroku hurriedly holding the blond back from Rebecca as he snarled. "O-Oii!"

 

"Trust me Jonouchi," Anzu said with a laugh before frowning. "It's not worth it."

 

Honda nodded, patting his friend's shoulder. "Yeah man... Seriously, you've slept through worse..." Like hell he had! The blond continued to grumble, crossing his arms as Sugoroku gave the four a short look before turning back to Rebecca. Stupid little prepubescent rat...

 

"Listen, Rebecca," he began, shaking his head somewhat and frowning. "I understand that you're very smart for your age," the man continued, "But this card is very important to me! I'm not going to just give it to someone!" Rebecca merely snorted, shaking her head. "Of course it's 'important'," she said with a scowl, rolling her eyes. "You came all the way to California to steal it!"

 

That wasn't true damn it! "Oii!" Katsuya shouted, gritting his teeth, "Jii-chan didn't steal any cards!"

 

"Katsuya-nii," Mokuba muttered, "I think you're getting a little too upset about this..."

 

"Calm down Jonouchi," Anzu added, shaking her head. Honda nodded, still holding the blond back.

 

"Yeah seriously man," he continued, "You need to chill!"

 

"RGGGG!" Calm down? This kid was acting like a little rat, why the hell would he calm down! "Damn it!"

 

As Rebecca smirked slightly at the reaction she was gaining, Sugoroku shook his head. "Listen... I didn't steal this card Rebecca! I don't know who told you this," he continued, the girl quickly loosing her amused expression, "But this was given to me by an extremely close friend-"

 

"You're lying," she hissed, fists clenching as the others frowned. Um... Woah, that was a quick reaction... "There are only four of those cards in the world," she screeched, "And this one doesn't belong to you!"

 

Yugi bit his lip, shaking his head. "But that can't be right," he protested, the girl in front of them merely glaring visciously. "Grandpa wouldn't steal anything... And he's had that card for six years," the boy continued, "He never went to the US during that time! "Well obviously you're wrong," Rebecca argued snottily, the others trading annoyed glances as Yugi and his grandfather groaned. "Your 'Grandpa' did steal this card, and I'm going to get it back!" They continued to frown, Sugoroku shaking his head.

 

"Even if I was willing to give you this card," he said somewhat shakily, frowning as the girl shook before them. "I can't! It's-"

 

"Important, you said that already... _God damn it_ ," she muttered, rolling her eyes, " _I can't get anything done around here..._ " The girl continued to mutter off in English, Mokuba gritting his teeth as the others merely frowned at what they couldn't understand. "Look," she continued, frowning as she turned her attentions back to the group. "I can see why you don't want to give up the card... I wouldn't either if I were you," she said with a smirk, hands on her hips. "After all... People would kill for something like that," Rebecca muttered, eyes trailing over Mokuba as the boy tensed somewhat. "Some people even _have_ killed for it," the girl added with a smirk, the one being held back going from Katsuya to Mokuba as the boy went red in the face. "But I'm not leaving this country without it," she continued, frowning. "So enough excuses! Hand it over!"

 

Yugi sighed, shaking his head. "That's not the reason though," he continued to protest, the others either biting their tongues or holding a red-faced Mokuba back. "If you'll let us explain-"

 

"Duel for it," Rebecca said calmly, adjusting her hold on the bear. The others blinked, frowning somewhat as they stopped what they were doing to stare. "If you're going to be _assholes_ about it, then we can duel for it," she continued, pointing at Sugoroku. "You and me," she shouted angrily, the old man tensing somewhat. "If I win, I get Blue-Eyes. If you win," the girl continued, "Then I'll leave you alone..." A fate that was surely impossible...

 

The others groaned, Anzu frowning as the girl fiddled with her bear. "Look," she said with an annoyed frown, crossing her arms. "We're trying to tell you, we can't give you the card, it's been-"

 

"Ahp!" She shook her head, her 'teddy' doing the same as the woman was cut off. "Not listening! I don't want any excuses," she shouted, narrowing her eyes. "Either duel me, or hand it over now!"

 

"But the card is-"

 

"Ahp!"

 

"If you'll just listen," Yugi attempted to say, only to be cut off like Honda had been.

 

"Aaaaahp!"

 

"Aaaaghh..." Mokuba shook his head, scowling as the girl smirked. "Can you please stop tha-"

 

"Ahp!" Oh seriously? How was this kid graduating... Rebecca shook her head, the others groaning again before Sugoroku finally stepped forward.

 

"Alright Rebecca," he said with a nod, still frowning. "Very well... We'll duel for the Blue-Eyes card..." The girl nodded, smiling in response before cutting the man off. "Good," she said with a contented grin, grabbing her deck. "Now... I have my deck right here... I also heard that a place called 'KaibaLand' has a duel table, and I'd really like it if we could use one of those," she continued, batting her eyelashes with the suggestion.

 

Mokuba rolled his eyes, rubbing his head in annoyance as the girl 'smiled' at them. "Rrrrrgh... Fine," he growled, glaring at Rebecca before crossing his arms. "We can use the duel table there," he said, grumbling. "You're lucky you came today, on the maintenance check," he added darkly, becoming more and more sore about the girl's comment as she smirked. "Otherwise we'd be booked for three months solid," he continued, turning to lead everyone toward the building. "At which point the table would be taken down completely, and you wouldn't be able to use it at all."

 

"Taken down?” Anzu asked, raising her eyebrows as Sugoroku politely asked Rebecca to follow them to the indoor park. The woman shook her head, looking down at the boy as they moved to stand at the nearby crosswalk. "Why would Kaiba take down one of the most popular sections of the park?" Honda nodded, frowning somewhat.

 

"That's right," he muttered, hands stuffed in his pockets. "If the table is one of the only ones in the area," the teen continued, "Wouldn't that make it one of the largest money makers at the park?"

 

The boy merely shrugged, looking up at the others as Katsuya and Rebecca glared at each other behind him. "I was asking him about that myself," he said with another shrug, shaking his head. "Supposedly, by that point," Mokuba continued, "She'll have something 'even better' there... Though I have a feeling I know what that means," he added with a slight frown, Katsuya looking up with those words.

 

Something 'better' than the table? Wait... "Y' mean th' duel disk?" he asked, Rebecca currently following behind the group in what was apparently content (and plotting) silence. So like... An arena then? "I dunno," he muttered, staring up in thought for a moment. "It was cool seein' th' monsters life size an' all but..." Well, besides the fact that 'cool' became 'horrifying' really quickly during the last time he saw the things in action... Constantly throwing that thing would probably chase a few people away from the idea. "...I dunno if that thing's really gonna take off..."

 

Mokuba merely shrugged, the six slowly making their way toward the 'KaibaLand' building as he spoke. "Apparently he's working on a second version," the boy responded, adjusting his bag as the tower came into sight. "One that doesn't look like a disk and operates on the duelist's arm," he added, stopping as they waited for the light to change. "I don't really know what it'll look like when it's done though..."

 

"Huh..." Katsuya stared off for a moment, before following after the boy as they were taken into the 'grounds' of the building. On the arm huh...

 

But if the last disk was powered by throwing it, then what would power these things? He shook it off, instead watching as Mokuba led them off around the side of the building.

 

"O-Oi," he muttered, blinking a few times. "Shouldn't we go in the main entrance?" The boy shook his head, pulling out a card from his pocket and opening the door. "Nope; we'd have to go through the ticket booths for that, and besides," he continued, a few lights blinking from the door as he pushed it open, "The main door to the stadium elevator is sealed off due to the maintenance check. We'll be taking the construction elevator, before taking the hall and stairs," the boy added letting everyone into the building. "That way, we don't have to deal with the crowd in the park either."

 

"Hn," Rebecca muttered, pulling her suitcase behind her and up the stairs as she brushed past the others. "Smart." What, she thought that they'd do something stupid? Sheesh...

 

She was lucky they didn't just drop her off at a police station the blond thought to himself, watching as Mokuba pushed a few buttons for the elevator. They stepped in as the doors opened, Mokuba turning to Sugoroku at that moment. "Erm... I just realized," he said with a short cough, frowning as he looked at the man with wide eyes. "Even though it's obviously a lot safer now... Is your heart going to be ok jii-san?" Eh? His heart? “I mean... Even before the... End of the match," he managed to force out, swallowing as the doors closed, "You looked... ...Hng..." He looked at the ground, biting his lip as the others turned to the old man. That was right...

 

He'd already gone through intense heart surgery, if anything got his heart going again... The old man tensed, as did Rebecca, the others falling silent. Sooo...

 

What to do now... "...Let me duel in his place," Yugi said, turning to Rebecca as the elevator moved. The girl turned, frowning. "Please," he continued, frowning as the elevator continued to shoot upward. "Grandpa can't have another heart attack, he's not in any condition for that..."

 

"Yugi," Sugoroku insisted, coughing somewhat, "I'm sure I'll be alright..." The boy shook his head, Rebecca in the meantime appearing to consider the offer.

 

"...Alright," the girl said with a smirk, turning around. "That's fine by me... Champion versus champion," she added with a grin, nodding to herself as the elevator stopped. "I like that idea..." They stepped out of the elevator as the doors opened, most of the others shaking their heads. Of course she did... It meant she got to rub in their faces how much of a 'champion' _she_ was. The others continued to silently grumble, Katsuya shaking his head.

 

"T' think," he muttered darkly, "This brat's graduating b'fore any 'f us..." Anzu shook her head, rolling her eyes. "At least she's not as bad as other people..." Mokuba turned at that, the woman sighing as she was met with a suspicious frown. "No offense," she continued quietly, tone lowering to a much softer level. "But I'm still not too trusting of your brother yet... He might not be doing anything now," she continued, trailing off. But what had happened was enough, wasn't it.

 

Katsuya and Mokuba both shared a glance, the younger nodding somewhat. "It's fine," he said quietly, the hall falling silent as they walked. "I understand..." Now that he thought about it... There was a pretty damn big reason why Seto rarely if ever came up in conversation.

 

That was probably it. "...So," Katsuya said with a cough, attempting to change the subject. Something something... ...Well, might as well find out more about the 'enemy' he figured. "...Yer in high school right?" he asked the girl, Rebecca turning with raised eyebrows at the question.

 

She frowned somewhat, narrowing her eyes. "I thought that was obvious," she said somewhat huffily, shifting her hold on the bear as she dragged the suitcase up the stairs they'd come to. "Your friends said it outside, remember?"

 

Mokuba frowned, glaring at the girl. "H-Hey," he muttered, eyeing the girl with obvious annoyance, "He was just asking a question..." The girl snorted, Mokuba rolling his eyes in response. "And besides," the boy continued, "Magazines get things like that wrong a lot of the time; you can't blame us for finding it hard to believe that you're graduating!" Particularly with that attitude!

 

...Wait. "Er... Wouldn' it be 'graduated'?" Katsuya asked with a frown, the others stiffling a laugh at that as Mokuba moved forward to unlock the door at the end of the staircase. What, what was so funny... "Hn! American schools start in September and end the year in June," Rebecca said, rolling her eyes before turning to look up at the blond. "Shouldn't you know something like that?" The blond growled, clenching his fists as Anzu attempted to calm the situation down.

 

"Well... It's not like we're taught about how other schools work," she said somewhat tensely, frowning before shaking her head. Geeze, this kid was wrapping them right around her finger like this... "So," she continued, calming herself down somewhat. "What do you plan on doing after you graduate?" she asked, smiling lightly. "You have a plan right?"

 

Rebecca nodded, eyes shut for a moment. "Of course," she said plainly, continuing to pull the suitcase behind her. "I'll be going to University on a scholarship for archaeology next year," she continued, walking through the door as Mokuba held it open.

 

"Wow..." The others stared, blinking. A scholarship huh...

 

"Yep," Rebecca muttered, not turning back. "UCLA..." Huh... Sounded slightly touchy about this 'child prodigy' business. Maybe they should drop the subject...

 

Katsuya shook his head, watching as they moved into a largely empty 'colliseum'-esque room. Honda was looking around idly, as was Sugoroku. Katsuya and Anzu in the meantime both swallowed as they looked around the arena, Yugi as well trailing his eyes around with what looked to be unease. This place was familiar... Not in a good way either.

 

It'd been a while... "So... Rebecca," Mokuba asked, moving forward to override the 'door' that blocked off the bridges to the table. He punched a few numbers into the pad on the gate, before turning. "What's high school like?" The girl merely shrugged, the others sharing wide-eyed glances as the girl walked past the now open barrier to the middle. "Eh," she muttered, leaving her suitcase behind the door and adjusting her grip on the teddy bear. "It was okay..." O... Okay? Those were her words for high school? 'Okay'?

 

Anzu and the taller of the boys gawked, before the blond of the group was distracted by a short conversation between Yugi and his Grandfather. "I'm counting on you, alright," he said calmly, the boy nodding in response as his opponent sat in the domed duel arena. The old man looked over at the dome somewhat nervously, before clapping his grandson on the shoulder and giving him an encouraging smile. "Good luck."

 

Yugi nodded once more, a determined expression in place. "Alright," he said, turning around to walk off. "Don't worry," he continued, "I'll win, ok?" Of course he would! The record was now 200 plus to zero after all...

 

Briefly, Katsuya thought he saw the shade that was the 'Other Yugi' mist at the boy's side, appearing to talk about something. Within the few seconds the blond saw him however, he vanished...

 

And rather than switching out for a duel as expected, the 'normal' Yugi was the one to sit down across from Rebecca for the duel. Huh...

 

That was new. "Ok," Mokuba muttered, moving to the side where a booth stood. The boy pulled the metal door open, hopping in to flip a few switches on what looked to be a small computer system. "I just need to turn on the power..." Katsuya turned from the booth, watching as Rebecca seemed to lean over the table in obvious boredom while her opponent shifted awkwardly. "Sound is turned on," Mokuba muttered, a few lights blinking back in the booth. "Scoring systems," he continued, the large device above the dome flashing as the number '2000' flashed on each side. "The hologram software is turned on... Ok," he said somewhat louder, grabbing a mike from the side and flipping a switch. "The table is running now," Mokuba called out, voice echoing from both the inside of the booth and the center of the room. "You can start!"

 

"About time," Rebecca shouted somewhat angrily, Mokuba rolling his eyes as the sound echoed through the arena. "Hope you aren't too scared," she told Yugi, the boy merely attempting to smile weakly in response. "After all," she continued with a smirk, "I am the champion of the USA..." Of course she was...

 

Auuuughh... What a brat... The others moved toward one of the benches on the side, taking their seats. "Did y' really have t' turn on the sound?" Katsuya muttered, shaking his head as the two in the dome searched around for their decks. Seriously, now they had to listen to this kid whine...

 

Mokuba merely shrugged, taking a seat between the blond and Honda. "Unfortunately, yes," he said with a short sigh, crossing his arms. "Otherwise," he continued, "If something weird happens in there, we won't be able to hear what's going on..." Huh. Not that he wanted to know what qualified as weird but...

 

Katsuya blinked a few times, looking back at the domed arena in the center. Honda and Sugoroku both appeared to be staring at the large dome around the duel-table, the two inside it currently pulling out their decks and shuffling. "Now what is the purpose of that dome?" the elder muttered, frowning somewhat.

 

"Ah..." Mokuba blinked, looking around Honda at the old man. "The hologram software works differently with this table," he explained, smiling slightly. "Rather than being displayed on the board or off the sides like the normal table," he continued with a nod, "They come off the glass itself, so that the monsters are somewhat larger and are more visible to the audience..." Bigger holograms huh...

 

Beside the fact that he could see why that would be needed with the size of the room, he wondered what that meant for him. The blond shook it off, watching as the two in the middle started the duel. "This will be easy," Rebecca remarked with a smirk, drawing her hand and holding her teddy bear close. "Neh, Teddy-chan~?" The bear 'nodded', Rebecca giggling rather obnoxiously as the crowd groaned. If Yugi could please beat this kid fast...

 

Yugi visibly sighed at the gesture, the others in the 'audience' shaking their heads as the girl continued to insist on taking the first move. "This kid can't seriously be graduatin'," Katsuya muttered, watching the girl look over her hand. Let alone be the champion of the US... "No way 'n hell..."

 

"I hear you," Honda muttered, shaking his head with a frown. "That kid looks like she belongs a few grades _under_ her age..." Not to mention she was taking so damn long for one move...

 

"Alright," the girl finally shouted, "I'll play this!" She slapped a card on the table, grinning as she continued. "Come on out, Witch of the Black Forest~" Katsuya stared at the board, only to blink as a tablet the size of the girl's head materialized beside her. Huh...

 

Alright, that worked.

 

Within a few seconds the tablet blew away into dust, revealing the three-eyed witch hovering in place beside it's master. "Isn't she cute?" the girl said with a smile, the others staring at it. Er... The blond squinted, the three eyed witch closing her two normal ones and taking a glance at the audience with the third. Hih-Hihhhhh...

 

Not really... "Why did she play such a weak monster?" Anzu muttered, frowning. Eh? The others blinked, watching as a few 'stats' appeared on the screen above the dome. Hey... She was right. "There has to be something else to this..."

 

"Maybe she's just not actually as good as she says," Honda said with a shrug, watching as Yugi looked over his own hand. Anzu gave him a somewhat skeptical look in response, the teen ignoring it and staring at the arena. "...What's taking Yugi so long though?" he continued with a frown, "Normally he would have done something by now..." That was a good question...

 

Though if he had to say, it was probably just as Anzu said; who knew, maybe the kid had a plan? ...Eh, whatever. "Ah... I summon the Elven Swordsman in attack mode," the boy finally said, coughing somewhat. Probably just taken aback by the weirdness of the situation Katsuya figured, watching as a tablet similar in size to that of the witch appeared beside Yugi. The tablet glowed somewhat, the armored elf pulling itself from the 'card' as the stone vanished into dust. "Now," he continued confidently, the witch turning its attention to the elf with an odd expression of calmness. "Attack the witch!"

 

The elf nodded, wasting no time as it cut the witch through with his longsword. Briefly, the witch seemed unaffected, a look of resignation on its face... Within seconds however, the monster's two halves fell toward the ground in a bloody mess, vanishing into a shower of dust before hitting the floor.

 

"Aaaaahh!" The owner of the witch cried, shaking her head. "My monster!" Yeaaaaah, that's what happened when you played something really weak... Rebecca appeared to wail over the loss, holding her bear close. "Oh no... What now?" she 'asked' herself, still appearing to fret over the loss. "Ah, what's that Teddy-chan?" she asked, appearing to converse with the bear as the others stared incredulously. Okay seriously, what the hell... "Oh that's right!" she said with a smirk, winking. "The Witch of the Black Forest has an effect," she shouted 'sweetly', grabbing her deck. "When sent to the graveyard, I can pick any monster with a defense of 1500 or less from my deck to put in my hand! That's right!~"

 

The crowd stared as she did just that, the girl still smirking as she reshuffled her deck and put it back on the side.

 

"Hnhnhnhn..." Augh...

 

Katsuya shook his head, frowning. "What..." Seriously, there were... No other words coming to mind to describe this. What the hell was wrong with this kid... The girl drew her next card, remaining silent as she appeared to look over her hand.

 

"Ah... R-Rebecca," Yugi said with a cough, a few minutes passing as the girl stared at her cards. "Rebecca," he continued with a frown, "It's still your tur-"

 

"Shut up!" she shouted, glaring across the table. "I'm trying to think! _God_!" The others stared, shaking their heads.

 

"How th' hell is this kid the American champ," Katsuya said with wide eyes, watching as even the celtic guardian on the duel table shook his head at the girl. Even the monsters couldn't stand her, holy shit... "Seriously," he muttered, "She's takin' fifteen mintues f'r one turn!"

 

"She's not exactly the 'nicest' either," Mokuba muttered, huffing somewhat as he sat back on his seat. "Bringing up things like Nii-sama's cards..."

 

He continued to grumble, going somewhat red in the face at the recent memory. "Hn!" Honda merely shook his head, shrugging. "Honestly," he said somewhat calmly, "I'm not too surprised..." What, he wasn't? "All girls are like that at that age?" he continued, leaning back in his seat. Hang on what?

 

Anzu turned at that, eyes narrowed in a dangerous 'recreation' of the 'Kaiba-stare' as Katsuya did the same. "Oiii," the blond muttered with a frown, Honda paling somewhat as the glares came his way. "You sayin' that my sister was that prissy when she was twelve then?" Because she sure as hell wasn't! ... (Least not in his opinion.)

 

"Yes Honda," Anzu added with a low growl, the teen coughing violently as he realized the hole he'd dug. "Just what are you implying... And make sure you speak up," she continued with a scowl, "So we can hear you..." The teen continued to cough, before a shout from the board pulled their attention back.

 

"Ok!" Rebecca called out, putting a card on the table as a tablet simultaneously appeared at the side. "I've decided! I summon Sangan," she said with a smile, the large, three-eyed fuzzball appearing in a blast of tablet induced dust on the girl's left. The monster gave a feral growl, stretching out on green limbed arms as its three eyes looked around the field in opposite directions. Rebecca giggled, hugging her teddy bear and grinning. "This one's even cuter than the last one, don't you think? Hnhnhn!" Er...

 

No, the blond thought, the others rendered silent as yet another 'weak' monster was summoned to the field. He stared at the snarling, green-skinned mass of hair, the look on his face likely mistaken for the shock that everyone else had. No it really wasn't...

 

And whoever compared this thing to Kuriboh was blind damn it. "Ah..." Yugi appeared to blink a few times, drawing his next card and shaking his head. "Right... Elven Swordsman attacks Sangan," he called out, the girl giving a loud scream as the monster's blade cleaved her monster in two. The large counter held above the dome beeped, Rebecca's points falling with the sangan's corpse as the girl wailed. "Ahhhh! No! No, damn it," she shouted, going somewhat red-faced as her field was again left clear. She growled, throwing up a middle finger for a brief moment as the others gawked at the insult. Seriously, what was this kid's problem...

 

"Y-You weren't going to win that fight anyways!" he protested somewhat weakly, eyes wide as the girl merely growled at him. "Sangan has less attack points than the Swordsman," he continued, "It really isn't-"

 

"So you were taking advantage of me then!" the girl screeched, Yugi staring at the girl in shock. How was that taking advantage of her! "Did you hear that Teddy-chan," she wailed to her bear, holding it close. "He's being mean on purpose!"

 

Yugi continued to stare, pulling back somewhat and shaking his head. "I- I'm not..!"

 

"Ah, what's that," Rebecca asked, quite obviously talking to her bear again as the others stared. "You say I shouldn't give up? Oh, that's right," she said cheerily, squeezing the bear tight as she moved for her deck again. "Sangan has an effect too!" Oh what the hell! "When he goes to the graveyard," she explained, putting her card-hand on the table for a moment, "I get to pick a monster with 1500 or less attack from my deck! Hnhnhnhnhn!"

 

The girl hurriedly went through the cards, those on the sidelines shaking their heads. "A kid like that would leave you completely insane in a few minutes," Anzu muttered incredulously, eyes wide as they stared. "How on earth can any one stand her?" That was one of the many questions of the day...

 

"I want to know how she's graduating," Mokuba said with equally wide eyes, leaning forward somewhat. "I mean... I don't think I acted like this when I was five!" Actually, there were moments before Death-T happened...

 

Not that he was saying anything on that... Mostly because he kinda got why...

 

Honda grimaced, crossing his arms. "There's no way this girl is the champion, let alone a 'prodigy'," he muttered, frowning. "Just no way..."

 

"Hnn... This strategy seems familiar somehow..." The four turned, blinking as Sugoroku stared out at the arena. ...That had nothing to do with their topic but... Familiar?

 

"What do you mean?" Anzu asked from beside him, the others waiting for the response. "Is there actually a strategy to this?" The whole summoning weak monsters and searching the deck thing at least.

 

The man frowned, slowly shaking his head. "Hnn... It can't be..." What couldn't be? Make sense damn it! "I can't completely remember," he muttered, eyes narrowing somewhat. "But the last two moves..." The man trailed off, a shout from the arena pulling the crowd's attention to the arena yet again.

 

"My turn," Rebecca had shouted, having finished re-shuffling her deck yet again. She reached for the deck, drawing her card as Katsuya abruptly tensed somewhat. The elf on Yugi's side of the field had done the same, along with the observing 'Other Yugi' behind him. The air...

 

Something had changed in the air...

 

"Does something feel different about Rebecca?" Honda suddenly asked, the teen's eyes narrowed with slight suspicion as the others looked at the girl. Maybe not 'feel' but 'look' definitely applied. Her face... The childish pout was gone, as was the 'years younger' grin she held earlier... It was almost as significant a change as when the 'two Yugi's' switched out even.

 

They continued to stare, watching as Rebecca grinned darkly and pulled a card from her hand. "Hnhnhnhnhn... Things just got interesting," she said with a smirk, abruptly appearing much older than she had beforehand. The card was placed on the field, large tablet appearing behind her with a grinding, groaning sound that echoed across the room. The girl's stare narrowed somewhat, Rebecca leaning back as the tablet slowly dusted out of existence to send wave of destruction across the field. "Very interesting..."

 

Something told him that this duel was about to get a lot more serious than he thought.

 


	11. Offerings of Paper Cranes

 

When Sugoroku had first said 'this seems familiar', he wasn't really sure what he meant by that. What, did he play a match with the same monsters? Was there actually some kind of plan to all of this? In the case of the former, that was weird. How...

 

How the hell did that even happen. The latter?

 

...There was a plan?!

 

Personally he just wanted Rebecca beaten and gone, preferably on the next plane to wherever the hell she said she was from. This girl was a royal pain in the ass, and if he had to deal with her any longer he'd probably go in there toss her off the side of the arena. And while that would be harder now that there were railings in place on the bridge, that was still a nice fall right?

 

The blond's somewhat disturbing musings were cut short as Rebecca made her next play, a strange and almost ominous air appearing to hover over the area. "I play this- 'Tribute to the Doomed'! By discarding one card from my hand," the girl shouted, tablet appearing tall and intimidatingly behind her as she spoke, "I destroy one monster on the field! Not that there's much choice," she said with a smirk, her opponent tensing somewhat as the tablet glowed.

 

As the girl said this she pulled a card from her hand, dropping it into the graveyard to activate the tablet she'd summoned into play. A single wave of dust was all it took... The tablet vanished in one swift blast, and with it the elf on Yugi's field was destroyed.

 

Blown into nothingness by an enormous sand storm that took all of seconds to fill the table. "Hnhnhnhn... The Elven Swordsman is destroyed!" Rebecca cheered, bear held loosely at the side as she grabbed another card from her hand. "And to finish my turn, I'll set this monster in defense mode," she stated, a blank tablet appearing at her side as she put down the card. "Hnhnhnhn... This could be interesting," she continued smugly, brushing a few bangs from her face as a few bits of dust continued to clear from the table. "Like I said. I will get that Blue-Eyes card..." Gh...

 

The others tensed, staring with narrowed eyes as the girl ended her turn. "I guess she really did have a strategy," Anzu muttered, blinking a few times before shaking her head. "Yugi had better watch his steps..."

 

"When doesn't he?" Honda continued, frowning somewhat. "Still... It's like she's suddenly an entirely different person," he muttered with a swallow, "The way she pulled that one..." Hah! Got that right...

 

The crowd narrowed their eyes, watching as Yugi stared at the board for a few moments before making his own move. "Alright then... My turn," he called out, drawing and placing a card on the field. An immense stone tablet appeared at his side in a flurry of shadows, bone-claws pulling themselves free as its master made the move. "Skull Demon," Yugi ordered, the monster flexing its arms with a low groan as its tablet crumbled behind it, "Attack the defense monster!"

 

With a curt nod the monster struck, charging at the blank tablet. Claws sunk into the solid stone, cracks appearing across it in a spiderweb fashion as the sound echoed around the room. However as the stone flaked away it was the demon that gave a loud shout, hurriedly pulling back as it was tossed back to the other side of the dome. " _GNNNGH!_ " What th-

 

"Hnhnhn! Got it! You're attacking?" she 'asked', smirk growing, "In that case, here's the monster you attacked! The Millennium Shield," the girl shouted, an enormous golden shield appearing before her.

 

A single gold eye stared forward, watching as the Skull Demon steadied himself from the rebounded attack. The monster shook itself off, five hundred of Yugi's lifepoints vanishing at the same moment while it 'glared' at the shield.

 

"Hahahah!" She bounced in her seat, squeezing her bear close with a grin. "An iron defense!" she shouted with a laugh, before her childish grin vanished into another dark smirk. "Unstoppable! Hnhnhnhnhn... Did I scare you?" the girl continued, a faux look of concern on her face. "Good!~" Damn it...

 

"Tch... I swear it," the blond muttered under his breath, jaw clenched, "I don't care how good this kid actually is, if she says one more word..."

 

"Yugi has a lot of self-control," Mokuba muttered, shaking his head with wide eyes as they continued to stare at the arena. "If I were in there, I'd have pulled out and called her in for harassment by now..."

 

At this Honda blinked, frowning and turning to Mokuba. "And... Why didn't we do that to start with again?"

 

"Honda, she's twelve," Anzu muttered, shaking her head. "Don't you think that even as bratty as she's being, it would be a little much to do that?"

 

The teen shrugged, shaking his head. "Well yeah," he said dismissively, "But she's also graduating. I'd say that makes her plenty able to deal with being arrested," he continued, leaning back on his seat. "And if she's not, too bad. She's acting like a prick." Hear hear!

 

As Anzu continued to roll her eyes at that, Rebecca's shout from the arena took their attention again. "It's not over yet," she shouted, holding her stuffed bear close with a grin, "Neh, Teddy-chan?" Again with the bear... The girl pulled another card from her hand as her audience shook their heads, an immense tablet appearing behind her as the card was placed on the field. "For my turn I'm playing the Electromagnetic ring on my shield," she shouted clearly, tablet glowing brightly with her words.

 

"Electromagnetic ring?" The others turned as Anzu frowned, her arms crossed as she stared at the arena in thought. "That card lowers the monster's defense by five hundred points though," she muttered, shaking her head. "Why would she do that..."

 

They blinked, frowning at those words. It lowered defense... ...Huh. Good question...

 

Katsuya turned back to the field, watching as the tablet summoned into existence ground away into dust to form a series of large black disks around the Millennium Shield. Sparks flew between the disks, a few bits of light scuffing the sides of the shield but nonetheless proving as sturdy a defense compared to beforehand. Not to mention blinding enough for anything that could see it...

 

Which probably only meant him. Ahhhh god his eyes...

 

He blinked a few times, squinting as the electricity sparked along the sides of the dome. Damn it this really sucked... Someday he would seriously have to figure out what the hell was going on with him, he really would...

 

"...I'll pass on my turn," Yugi said in the meantime, drawing his card and looking at where the shield likely was on the board. Yugi's eyes were staring at about the centre of the table. The shield... Was sitting at the far left and was probably half of Rebecca's size. This was really weird, seeing things in a completely different location...

 

Really... Weird...

 

Rebecca smirked, drawing a card as it came to her turn once more. "Hnhnhnhn... Can't do anything can you?" the girl 'asked', batting her eyes somewhat as her opponent merely sighed. "Not surprising," she said with a small laugh, "I am a genius after all..."

 

Damn it, someone please throw her off the side.

 

"I summon Cannon Soldier in attack mode," Rebecca called out, the tablet appearing to her side as she called it's name. In a pale show of light the stone vanished from sight, the metal, cannon headed monster appeared to cross its arms and adjust its cannon with a loud crack as the tablet crumbled behind it. The skull demon at Yugi's side turned toward the monster, both of the sightless monsters staring the other down. How that could happen when neither had eyes who the hell knew, but at this point nothing made sense damn it.

 

"Cannon soldier?" Sugoroku muttered from the side, before tensing and leaning forward. "Yugi!" he shouted, the boy turning from his seat at the shout as it barely made it through the glass. "Yugi! If Rebecca sacrifices a monster she'll deal five hundred points of damage to you!" he cried, eyes wide. "Be careful!" Shit, seriously?

 

The others looked back as Yugi nodded furiously, the boy turning back while Rebecca merely continued to smirk. It was all great that they knew but...

 

Something felt off. "Well," Honda muttered, "At least Yugi still has his Skull Demon right? That monster easily beats out the cannon soldier..." That was always true. But then why the hell was Rebecca so smug? Even with that fact plain before her the girl was sill grinning.

 

"It's not going to work," Anzu was muttering, the others turning with frowns as their friend said this under her breath. Back on the field Yugi had declared an attack, the Skull Demon sending a volley of thunder toward the robot with a roar. It looked right but...

 

"Whaddya mean it won' work?" Katsuya muttered, frowning as the woman continued to stare at the field. That... That couldn't be right.

 

Right? ...Damn it he hated when he was wrong. "Watch," the woman said with a frown, not taking her eyes off the field. "The ring of magnetism attracts attacks..."

 

There was a sudden clashing sound, the blond jumping as the attack the summoned skull created abruptly veered off track and into the Millennium shield. Sparks fizzled on contact with the defensive monster, singing its owners' bones as it growled in anger. Wait wha-

 

"Aww hell, seriously!"

 

"...Or... Not," Honda muttered, shaking his head. "I could be wrong... Damn," he continued, rubbing his head with a wince. "I guess she really is the champion..."

 

Damn it, it really didn't feel good to have to admit that. Chuckling came from inside the arena, Rebecca's smirk darkening as she held her hand of cards. "Hnhnhnhnhn... Fun isn't it?" she said with a laugh, drawing her next card as she stared at her opponent. "You have no choice but to wait for me to finish my strategy... Too bad for you! Hnhnhnhnhn...I summon the Black Witch of the Forest!" she shouted even louder, the monster's tablet appearing to the side of the girl before crumbling away to dust. The cloud of stone rubble cleared within seconds, revealing a somewhat resigned looking three-eyed maiden standing with a grimace. "And I sacrifice it to activate the Cannon Soldier's effect," Rebecca continued, moving the card into the graveyard as her cannon solider raised its barrel toward Yugi.

 

Unbeknownst to the duelist a single red laser was finding its way to point toward his skull as the maiden at its side abruptly burst into flames with a panicked and pained scream, the demon to Yugi's side tensing as a counter flashed across his opponent's chest. "Oh great," Mokuba muttered, scowling as the events took place on the board, Katsuya struggling to keep his own panic from showing. "That probably activates its effect too..."

 

A loud shout on from the arena verified the theory, Rebecca's dark laughter filling the room almost ominously as the flames from her sacrifice died down only for a loud gunshot to pierce the air. From Katsuya's point of view it appeared as if the air _distorted-_ the bullet and flames simply rippled and passed harmlessly through Yugi, even as he responded to the holograms that the boy could likely see. It was dizzying, and even nauseating, and Katsuya took care to bite his tongue for at least until Rebecca's nagging voice could distract him again.

 

"You know what happens when the witch is sent to the graveyard right?" Rebecca said with a grin, putting her hand down to search through her deck as Katsuya looked back at the girl rather than the field. "Hnhnhnhnhn... I warned you," the girl continued, eyes narrowed to slits. "I'm going to show you what it's like to lose something as powerful as Blue-Eyes," she spat, hands gripping the bear almost tight enough to break the fabric. "Just like your grandfather did to mine!" Hang on...

 

"What?" Katsuya stared, eyes wide as the others also tensed. Grandfather..? They turned, incredulous stares in place as the man continued to frown. She just said... "...WHAT!"

 

Sugoroku said nothing, merely grimacing at the words as he stared forward. "So _that's_ where," he muttered under his breath, before pulling himself from his seat to come toward the railing. The others continued to frown, slowly joining the man with skeptical looks on their faces. "Rebecca?" the old man shouted, eyes narrowed somewhat as the girl turned from the duel table. "Your Grandfather... He's a professor in archaeology isn't he?" he asked, the girl crossing her arms at the question. ...Eh..? "Professor 'Arthur Hopkins', am I right?" Wait wait...

 

What? Katsuya looked at the old man, turning back to the arena mere moments after. What..?

 

"That's right!" she said with a more plain tone, almost frowning as she responded. She clenched her jaw, a low growl likely forming as she continued. "The man you stole 'Blue-Eyes' from is my Grandfather!"

 

"...What." Seriously...

 

What the hell...

 

The old man beside them sighed, shaking his head. "I knew that Arthur had a granddaughter named 'Rebecca'," he explained, leaning somewhat on the railing as he stared forward. "But I didn't realize that it was _this_ Rebecca..." Again, only one word to really describe this situation...

 

"...What..."

 

"You're going to get what's coming old man!" Rebecca shouted angrily, pointing accusingly at Sugoroku as her opponent frowned. "I might not be fighting you," she spat, gritting her teeth, "But I think it's almost poetic, avenging my grandpa by beating your grandson in a match... Hnhnhnhnhn..." She turned back to Yugi, ignoring the steady glare of sorts that she was receiving from the boy. "You might as well surrender while you can," she muttered dangerously, a set scowl in place as her opponent merely stared back with a slight frown. "Preserve what little bit of 'honor' you still have!" Katsuya groaned, holding his head.

 

Shiiiiit, this was to much. "Wha _aaaaat._.."

 

"Katsuya-nii," Mokuba said with a frown, turning to the blond as his friend looked through the hand on his head. "Stop saying 'what' and just sit down, we can figure this out later..." Yeah... That was probably a good idea...

 

Back in the arena Yugi was having a reaction similar to most of the others, swallowing as he stared across to his opponent. "Y ... You..." He paused for a moment, closing his eyes before calming himself. "...You're... The granddaughter of my Grandpa's..."

 

The girl gave an almost wicked smirk, narrowing her eyes. "Yep~ Hnhnhnhnhn..."

 

Yugi quickly tensed, frowning. "My Grandpa didn't steal anything," he insisted loudly, gripping his cards tightly.

 

The girl across from him continued to seethe in response, slamming her fist on the table with a shout. "YES HE DID!" she screeched, the boy across from her wincing only slightly at the shout as the girl continued. "My grandpa loved that card... It was his greatest treasure!" she raged on, tears dotting the sides of her eyes. "Worth more than most of the gold he found on his digs! Your grandpa _stole_ it," she spat, "And I'll NEVER FORGIVE HIM!" Auugggghh...

 

Katsuya groaned, slamming his head into his hands as the shouts filled the air before shaking his head. "What th' hell..!"

 

"Oh Rebecca..." Sugoroku as well shook his head, ignoring the annoyed groans of the others and looking over at the girl. "Rebecca," he repeated, somewhat louder as the girl in question turned back from the table. "I think I should tell you about how I met your Grandfather right now," he said seriously, bowing his head somewhat. "About my best friend, Arthur..." The monsters on the board appeared to turn to the man, as though curious about the story themselves.

 

Rebecca, however, looked far less than pleased. "I don't want to hear your excuses," she shouted back through the glass, eyes wide with rage as her opponent continued to frown. "Just shut up and watch your Blue-Eyes become mine, like it should!"

 

Sugoroku stood firm, eyes set in a calm and stern glare. "I will ask again Rebecca," he said somewhat severely, tone intensifying and causing the girl to shrink back only just slightly. "Listen, please."

 

"Mnnngggg..! FINE!" The others sighed as the girl huffed, apparently willing to listen for just a few moments. With those words, the monsters themselves shared a glance, shrugging as their masters appeared to turn away from the game- they themselves opting to take a seat for the moment and listen as well. Well...

 

As something to shut the girl up briefly... Even that would be enough he supposed. "A number of years ago in Egypt," the man began, closing his eyes somewhat as he recalled the memory, "When you, and everyone here were but small children," Sugoroku added, “I had managed to run out of water at a fairly difficult point in time. I was a tourist," he said almost matter-of-factly, shrugging somewhat, "And like all tourists," the man continued with a short chuckle, "I was fairly confident that I could maneuver my own way around the desert. This was of course, an incredible mistake... However," he added with a smile, apparently drifting off into his memories, "I got lucky."

 

"Lucky?" Katsuya muttered, the old man merely nodding at the question as they listened in silence.

 

"Yes- you see, while I most certainly wasn't in an ordinarily inhabited area of the desert at the time," he said with a smile, "I was within the area of a recent dig going on in a tomb. It was there that I met Arthur, who was heading the archaeological dig in the area," the man continued. "He shared some water with me, and invited me to join him for the day... We began talking," Sugoroku stated calmly, "Sharing stories of grandchildren, reasons for being in Egypt... He was, and still is, an extremely good man..." Sugoroku appeared to pause for a moment, before again pulling himself out of old memories. "But unfortunately," he continued, Rebecca visibly tensing at the man's next words, "Those who worked with him... Did not see him as such." They...

 

Didn't? Anzu frowned, as did the others as they stared at the man. "Why?" she asked, shaking her head. "If he was a good man, then..."

 

"You could say that his work was seen as 'a joke'," the man muttered, shaking his head with a sigh. "By those of his 'level' in the world of 'Egyptology' as you could call it, his ideas were seen as heresy, nonsense even. You see," Sugoroku went on, still staring out at the arena, "This all stems from the fact that around this time seven years ago, he had found himself interested in the game 'Duel Monsters'... Isn't that right Rebecca?" he asked, the girl gritting her teeth as the man continued.

 

The girl remained silent, Yugi staring at the table momentarily with a frown before looking back. "How would Duel Monsters tie in though?" he asked, shaking his head somewhat. Even the 'other Yugi' seemed curious about this, the familiar and almost tangibly visible form appearing at the boy's side with a confused expression as their Grandfather crossed his arms.

 

"Well," he began, expression somewhat unreadable, "That's the thing... It had everything to do with it, or so Arthur had found." Err... hang on, he lost them there... "You see," he continued with a slight nod, "During his studies in the recent years, he had found one word used continuously throughout the area, a word deciphered most literally as 'Game'." ...Game?

 

The others stared, blinking a few times. "...The word game?" Mokuba asked, frowning somewhat. "But if that's all he found then-" Sugoroku shook his head, smiling somewhat before cutting the boy off.

 

"Oh... That wasn't all," he said, sounding somewhat excited about what he had yet to say as the smile became a grin. "From the ruined hieroglyphs found, he found that an 'exchange' of sorts occurred, something that only happened during the era of those ruins and a short time before it... In times of peril or danger," he went on with a grin, "The ruler of the land would seek out an 'oracle', one who could foresee the future as it would happen... However," Sugoroku added, "From the stones in the ruins that he had found in the area of his dig, a different tale was seen. The ways that they went about this abruptly changed, completely in fact!" Changed?

 

And what the hell did 'oracles' have to do with this? "Rather than seeking out those blessed by the gods with foresight," the man said with slight surprise, "They consulted in the gods _themselves_." Uh...

 

...What...

 

Katsuya frowned, tilting his head somewhat as Sugoroku went on. "Using a game," the man explained, "And carved stone, they would use the results to determine what was yet to come. These carved tablets were unique in that they did not resemble the creatures of the real world," he continued, Katsuya growing rather pale at the mention of the tablets, "Nor the hieroglyphs used for their language," he added, "But rather the same monsters we see on Duel Monster's cards now." Wait... The tablets on the field, what the hell did that mean the-

 

"...Pegasus' book," Anzu muttered, the others turning. The woman coughed somewhat, shaking her head as the attention was suddenly brought to her. "While we were waiting for you to wake up," she explained, looking at Mokuba briefly as the boy frowned, "There was a diary of sorts at the side... I couldn't make out all of it," she continued with a slight shrug, "But... It did say something about Egypt under a date seven years ago," the woman added, narrowing her eyes. "So if Pegasus was in Egypt before he made Duel Monsters..."

 

Sugoroku nodded, smiling. "Hahahaha... That's right; and that's what Arthur thought as well," he continued, turning back to the arena and making sure to keep his voice up for those inside to hear. "But unfortunately," the man continued with a small frown, "When Arthur came forward with this knowledge he was ridiculed for his ideas, which seemed completely outlandish thanks to the presence of the card game itself. The prospect of ancient demons being used for prophecy, while not so uncommon in ancient times, suddenly became a laughing matter in the face of 'mythology as a muse'... But Arthur did not give in," Sugoroku added with a stern shout, turning back to Rebecca. "And he still works at his research, his life's work! In fact," he continued, smiling brightly as the girl in the arena continued to frown, "He's recently uncovered a large village ruin of sorts, which should soon be going under study in Cairo's museum... In addition to an enormous stone tablet. It bears mention of 'gods in stone form'," he continued, "Creations so powerful that supposedly those who possess them will become so powerful... That they could replace the sun god himself as the ruler of the world..."

 

"Woah..." The others stared, blinking a few times. Gods? As in... Giant Egyptian animal-headed gods? "Tha's pretty intense..." How come his history class wasn't like this!

 

"So, Jii-san?" Mokuba asked, the old man turning as the others shook themselves. "That dig?" he continued, blinking. "Is that where Arthur gave you Blue-Eyes then?" The old man nodded, only for the group to jump as a loud and screeching shout came from the arena.

 

"LIAR!" Rebecca screamed, both hands slamming on the table as she stood from her seat. "Liar, liar, _LIAR_! He would never have given away that card!" she roared, the other Yugi glaring at the girl with evident annoyance despite the expression being invisible to most in the room. He quickly misted out of sight as his lighter half gave him a small glance however, leaving the boy alone to deal with his opponent's tantrum. "Maybe I was wrong about you coming to California," the girl growled, fingers digging into the table as best they could, "But that doesn't mean you didn't steal it then, in Egypt! This changes nothing," she continued, sitting back down in her chair and holding her bear close and continuing to shout. "Nothing!"

 

"Please, just listen," Sugoroku shouted, the others turning to watch Rebecca growl and huff in her seat. "I haven't finished!" Eh? There was more? "Back in the tunnels where Arthur showed me the carvings," he said clearly, gripping the side of the railing as he spoke, "Among the tablets depicting the 'stone battles', we became trapped in a sudden cave in. The walls literally crumbled inward on themselves by some unseen force, the two of us barely left alive in the mess... We had no way to contact someone for help," he trailed off somewhat, gaze moving downward. "All we could do was wait... But two days passed, our food depleted completely and still no one came. We were down to only a few more sips of water," he continued, staring down as he recalled the event with an almost flat tone. "And we were running out of time and hope... But your grandfather suggested something, a game," the man said with a slight nod, looking back up at Rebecca as he spoke. "To 'decide our fate', or at the very least, pass the time... As we pulled out our decks," Sugoroku added, voice gaining a small bit of volume, "I made an offer; the winner of the duel gets the last of the water. And Arthur agreed," Sugoroku continued, sighing somewhat. "He agreed... And so we played... And his first move was to send out the Witch of the Black Forest, which would later be followed by Sangan," he said with the wave of a hand, "And then the Millennium Shield... Arthur taught you to play this game didn't he?" Sugoroku asked, the girl in the arena shaking somewhat as she fixed the others with a murderous glare. "After all," he continued, only for a loud shout to interrupt him. "He-"

 

"JUST SHUT UP!" Again the others jumped, frozen with silence as the girl turned on them again. H-H-Holy shit...

 

F-Frightening...

 

"I don't want to hear it! No more! You're lying... And I don't want to hear any more of it! No more... There's no proof to your words, none!" she screeched, the others pulling sour expressions at the attitude as they recovered from the initial shock. "By the way," she snarled to her opponent, those on the side narrowing their eyes. "It's your turn!"

 

Alright, that was it. "OI!" Katsuya shouted, leaning over the railing with narrowed eyes as he came forward. "Jii-chan ain't done with yah! Cut it out y-"

 

"It's alright," Sugoroku muttered quietly from the side, moving back to take his seat as he shook his head. The others turned, blinking as the man stared out at the arena with an odd expression in place. W-What... But... "Just let her play," the man said, shaking his head. "It's strange," he added, folding his hands in his lap as the two in the arena composed themselves. "But it feels as though Arthur is here right now..." ...Huh...

 

(Wait, he made it sound like he was dead...) "Tch!" The others quickly resumed their glares as Rebecca snorted, still huffing in the arena. "You're the one who interrupted," she growled, fingering her cards. "That's not your call to make!" Yeah yeah yeah, whatever mini-bitch... The girl turned back to Yugi, frowning. "Go on... We'll see how long this takes," she spat, opponent merely frowning. Yeah, they'd see how long it took...

 

For her to lose... Yugi drew his card, looking over his hand briefly before making his move. "I summon the Catapult Turtle in attack mode," he called out, the large tablet glowing somewhat on appearance as a mechanized tortoise stomped through. The monster turned its head toward Rebecca, eyes gleaming somewhat as it slowly took aim toward her with the closest thing it could call a grin.

 

"Hnnn... The turtle," the girl said with a smirk, those on the sidelines frowning. The girl continued to smirk, shaking her head. "Hnhnhnhnhn... Nice try... But-" "

 

I'm not done yet," Yugi said calmly, still frowning as he cut the girl off. His opponent lost the smirk, watching as he set down another card. "I also play Brain Control," the boy continued, Rebecca quickly growing pale as the tablet appeared behind him. Large withered hands flowed out from the tablet, the stone's dust mixing with the air as they began their mesmerizing dance. "I'm taking the Millennium Shield'," he stated as the hands moved past the electromagnetic ring, "And I'm loading it into the Catapult Turtle to activate its effect!"

 

With a single swift motion the shield was taken in the grip of the hands, locked into place on the catapult. "A-Ahhh... Not..." Slowly the device rose upward, locking into position as Rebecca sat in shock. "Ahh..." And then, it fired...

 

With a thundering crack against a seemingly invisible wall the shield flew forward, exploding on contact with the air a mere centimetre from Rebecca's head. The tablet behind the girl, the 'electromagnetic ring', also disintegrated, becoming mere dust in the air as its owner went red. "Hah... Ahh..!"

 

"That's not all," Yugi continued, pointing his summoned skull forward with a frown. The demon growled, pulling itself up from its seated position and cracking his neck with a 'grin'. "The Skull Demon attacks!" he called, the monster charging up a large blast of electricity in his claws. One instant was all it took, and with a flash of lightning the remaining monster on Rebecca's side of the field became naught but dust. Sparks scattered across the field, tracing along the outlines of where the Cannon Soldier's corpse had fallen. "The Cannon Soldier is defeated!"

 

"Aaaaahhh! NOT FAIR!" Rebecca shouted, gritting her teeth as her lifepoints plummeted. "Not fair, not fair not fair! AA _AARGH!_ "

 

The girl continued to seethe, Katsuya merely grinning on the sidelines. "Hehehe... 'S called karma y' brat!" He continued to laugh, shaking his head as the girl continued her tantrum. "Keep it up Yugi!"

 

Honda nodded, grinning as he shouted over the railing from beside the blond. "YEAH! You go for it Yugi!" he shouted, giving a loud clap. "Kick her ass!" The cheers continued, Anzu deciding to ignore the more rash comments on the side and watching as Rebecca grit her teeth and drew a card.

 

"...Ah... Hang on," Mokuba muttered, frowning somewhat. The others blinked, the cheers halting as they followed the boy's gaze over the side of the rail. "Rebecca's expression just changed..."

 

"Hnhnhnhnhn... Hnhahahaha!" Ah hell not that laugh. "Ohhh Wonderful! This is wonderful," the girl was shouting, holding the card to her teddy bear's face. What... What the hell... "Look Teddy-chan," she continued, Katsuya pulling a face as the skull demon and turtle both tilted their heads in confusion. What the hell was this kid doing? "Look what we drew! Hnhnhnhhn... Judgement Bomber!" The card was slapped on the table, a large, thickly muscled man stepping out from the tablet that appeared as the stone crumbled into dust. The man grunted, heaving an enormous black device up on his back before staring across the field. "By discarding five cards from my hand," its master shouted with a laugh, grinning almost wickedly, "All monsters on the field are destroyed!"

 

Gh- The man from the tablet hauled an enormous, chained capsule forward, the device slamming soundly into the table before glowing a beet red. Countdown. Three...

 

Two...

 

_-BROUM!-_ Small vibrations blew past the arena, Katsuya wincing somewhat as the sound blasted through his ears. Pieces of flesh, metal, and bone, both flew through the air, spraying against the arena glass with a sickening splat. And even then the pieces were only there a moment, before burning away into ashes before his eyes. Nothing was left in the explosion.

 

And above the arena, the counter was ticking down for lifepoints. Nothing left...

 

Just dust. "I'm going to win no matter what," Rebecca said darkly, smirking with narrowed eyes. "Here's my favourite monster, the most powerful in the deck! The Shadow Ghoul!"

 

With a low and rumbling roar a tablet appeared behind the girl, a void of sorts appearing from the surface. From the stone's carved image it came, rotted, boil-ridden skin and cruel gaping teeth staring down the empty side of the field. Four bone-thin, rotting green legs pulled the beast to the table, hungered maw hovering just inches above the unaware boy that was its opponent. As it moved however the most disturbing was yet to come, even with that. For from the graveyard pile of cards at the side...

 

There were screams. Wailing cries as the shadowed figures of the monsters both killed and discarded came into view, each one captured and devoured by the Shadow Ghoul with a loud and audible snap as it stood in front of it's master. "Hnhnhnhnhn... This monster gains one hundred points of attack for each monster in the grave," Rebecca shouted with a laugh, voice accented by the miserable shouts from the grave as her monster devoured each soul. "You can do the math for that one," she continued, dark grin widening as the others stared in shock.

 

"No way," Honda said with a swallow, shaking his head as he stared at the board. "There could be _eleven_ monsters in that pile," he continued, gripping the railing. "There's no telling how many were in her hand..."

 

"Eleven monsters," Katsuya muttered, eyes wide. The screams had died down. Honda was right, eleven was the number of monsters that died. Even so...

 

He swallowed, watching as the monstrous ghoul in the arena turned to stare almost hungrily at the crowd. Evidently...

 

Yugi wasn't enough for his attention. "That's..." Blank red eyes, staring forward with no attention to whatever command was delivered... Saliva was literally flowing from it's open mouth, low grumbling coming from its throat. "That's..."

 

Anzu frowned, looking at the blond and shaking her head in annoyance. "It's eleven hundred Jonouchi..."

 

"Gh- I know that!" he shouted angrily, glaring at the woman before turning back to the field. He wasn't worried about the numbers! This was... "Still... Eleven monsters just for that..." Yugi as well was staring in shock, though at Rebecca rather than the ghoul. Or at least, where it was assumed the ghoul stood. It was hard to see anything else besides the ghoul from Katsuya's angle, given that the beast literally stood between the pair.

 

"You sacrificed all those monsters?" the boy asked, frowning, "Eleven monsters," he continued, shaking his head somewhat, "Just to increase this one's attack in groups of a hundred?"

 

The boy's opponent smirked, crossing her arms. "Of course," she said cheerfully, Katsuya clenching the side of the railing as the girl spoke, teeth grinding in aggravation as he bit back a shout. "You realized that just now? It's well worth it," the girl continued with a wicked smile, eyes narrowed with mirth rather than anger for the moment. "After all... 2700... There aren't many things that can beat that..."

 

"...Rebecca," Yugi said quietly, bowing his head in silence. This seemed familiar somehow. This match. These words. He wasn't sure how but... "Each monster has a purpose," he continued, eyes appearing almost dim as he looked back at the girl across from him. "A 'soul' that needs to be respected and treated with care... You're supposed to believe in your cards," the boy said slightly louder, frowning as his opponent stared back. "Not throw them away..! Don't you think that sending so many to the graveyard, just for this, is a little-"

 

"Psh!" Rebecca snorted, laughing as she cut the boy off. "Hnahahahha! Souls? You think the cards have souls," she said with a louder laugh, unaware of the second and third glare she was receiving for her efforts. "These are cards," the girl shouted, her amusement abruptly switching to anger yet again as she waved her hand through the air. "Slips of printed paper! The only purpose that they have is making me win," she continued, narrowing her eyes. "That's all this is- a card game! And the only thing that matters is winning, at all costs," the girl shouted loudly, Katsuya abruptly widening his eyes. Those words...

 

Katsuya slowly looked at Mokuba, the boy as well growing tense before looking up at the blond for a moment. These words were...

 

"That's a real duelist," Rebecca continued on with a growl, narrowing her eyes and leaning forward somewhat. "So stop making up excuses!" she snarled, eyes narrowed into slits as she pulled back into her seat. "Stop covering up for your grandpa's theft! It won't work!" Shut the hell up...

 

Just shut up...

 

"These cards are weapons," the girl said lowly, gesturing to her graveyard as the Shadow Ghoul turned toward her with a tilted head. Tch... "That's all they are..." Yeah...

 

Where had he heard that before.

 

Katsuya frowned, turning back to the duel as Yugi turned their way for a small moment. There was an odd look on his face. Undecipherable, in fact. He seemed to be turned toward his grandfather, despite the fact that his other half appeared to be trying to get his attention from the side before misting back into the puzzle. "...Is that so?" Yugi said quietly, Rebecca merely watching in silence.

 

The girl stared, eyes narrowed as she held her bear. "Yes... It is," she finally said, before crossing her arms and looking at the board for a moment before continuing. "I end my turn."

 

Yugi nodded, drawing his next card. "Alright then... I set a monster in defense mode," he stated, placing the card face down as a blank tablet appeared at his side. "...And then I end my turn," he continued, bowing his head somewhat and leaving the tablet to hover at his side. The boy's opponent nodded quietly, moving for her deck to draw a card before smirking. Damn it, not that look...

 

"Hnhnhnhnhn... Well," the girl said with a smile, looking over at her opponent with narrowed eyes. "Would you look at this... Luck is on my side," she continued with a smirk, placing the one card she'd drawn and setting it on the board. "I play the spell 'Stop Defense'!" she cried, pointing forward as her Shadow Ghoul did the same. From the blank tablet the form of a violet robed mage appeared, before the Dark Magician himself stepped forward from the stone with a frown. He'd been found...

 

And he was not prepared for battle.

 

"And now... Shadow Ghoul," Rebecca ordered, the slightly more powerful of the two staring hungrily at the magician as he tensed. "Attack!"

 

Katsuya winced, shutting his eyes as the Dark Magician attempted in vain to fend off the prowling monster with his staff. A wide gaping mouth lined with oversized teeth moved forward, the Dark Magician batted across the side of the table by claws easily the size of his head, with little else occurring before one or the other won. "G _noooooooouuu._.." G-Gh...

 

A 'crunching' sound hit the air and the blond swallowed, opening his eyes only to watch as the Magician's still kicking legs vanished into the ghoul's mouth, the staff on the ground misting from existence without a master. Gh...

 

Disgusting...

 

"Hnhnhhn..." Rebecca looked over her bear's head, still smirking as she 'waved' at the vanishing corpse. "Bye bye, Dark Magician..." That was...

 

"Damn it," Honda was muttering at the side, shaking his head as the blond beside him growled. "How the hell are we going to beat this!"

 

"Jii-san?" Mokuba asked, frowning as he looked back at Sugoroku. The old man turned, blinking as Mokuba continued. "I don't know how these duels can be happening exactly as they did for you," he began, voicing the thoughts that most of the others had had on the matter. "But... Isn't there something you can do?" he asked, swallowing.

 

The others nodded, Katsuya turning from the railing to look at the old man as well. "Yeah... Hell," he continued, shaking his head, "You know how th' duel ended las' time right?" he asked, frowning as the man nodded. "So then..."

 

"Just watch," the old man said with a wink, looking back to the match as the others frowned. "Everything will work out fine," he continued with a nod, "Just wait and see... The results," he added, "Will probably surprise you..." Surprise?

 

But that was never good... Ahhhh...

 

The group turned back to the arena, watching as Yugi drew a card from his deck and set it on the table. "I play Swords of Revealing Light," he called out, the tablet appearing at his command only to crumble away into a fine powder as a series of golden blades dug into the table around the Shadow Ghoul. The beast screeched in anger, clawing at its glowing prison before sitting in a squat with a low growl as he received no results. The boy nodded toward his opponent, ending his turn as the girl before him grumbled in a manner not unlike the monster on the field.

 

"Gh... How irritating," she muttered darkly, before drawing her card and huffing. "I'll pass," Rebecca drawled, shaking her head as she put the card in her hand. "It'll be better for me to wait these turns out than ruin my own strategy..." Tch...

 

"Easy f'r her t' say," the blond growled, again leaning over the side of the rail with narrowed eyes. "She's got th' most powerful monster on th' field..."

 

There was no response to the comment from the crowd and arena both, Yugi merely drawing his card as his darker half watched in silence from the side. "Monster Reborn," the boy called out, placing the same card on the table with a short nod. From the tablet that appeared came an immense and shining light, a glowing green ankh appearing only to vanish into dust. And from the rubble and light the Dark Magician reformed completely, cracking his neck before staring down the imprisoned Shadow Ghoul with narrowed eyes as he twirled his staff.

 

"Hnhnhnhnhn... Putting up another shield?" Rebecca said with a smirk, drawing her next card and looking over it. "Heh! No use," the girl muttered, shaking her head, "No use at all... I'll win that card," she continued with narrowed eyes, placing her own on the field. "But first... Lets see how you like this..." The tablet appeared at the side as the girl spoke, a crouching, somewhat confused looking cannon soldier appearing in its wake as the stone device crumbled into a cloud of dust. "Cannon Soldier," Rebecca said calmly, pulling back to cross her arms. "Defense mode!" Tch...

 

Great... It was either add to the Ghoul's attack or sit still. No choice there. Yugi bit his lip, the others watching in silence as it came to his turn. "Dark Magician," he ordered after a moment, having drawn his card as the magician readied himself. In the end, it was this or face the Soldier's special effect... "Attack the solider!"

 

The magician nodded, spinning his staff for a moment before holding it forward with narrowed eyes. " _Black Magic_ ," the monster stated calmly, Katsuya blinking for a few moments as the words echoed clearly around the room. Again...

 

He heard a monster...

 

A blast of shadows gathered at the tip of the staff, before slamming the Cannon Soldier into the arena glass and rendering the metal nothing but a smouldering heap of scrap. Sparking plastic and metal fell to the ground, vanishing into dust as the Dark Magician brought his staff back to his side. " _...Hn_!"

 

Good god he needed sleep...

 

"Hnhnhnhn... Thanks for the bonus," Rebecca said with a laugh, those at the sidelines shaking their heads as her monster's attack rose another hundred points. "I'll be sure to use it when these swords of yours finally disappear!" Damn it damn it _damn this kid_..!

 

"Shit... If Yugi doesn't pull something out soon," Honda started with a swallow, "He's screwed..." The teen bit his lip, shaking his head. "Damn it..."

 

There were a few nods, Katsuya gritting his teeth as their friend drew a card only to pass on his final safe turn. "It ain't over yet though," he muttered, narrowing his eyes. "There's gotta be one card he's waitin' for... Jus' one..." Some kind of trump card... A back up...

 

"Some kind of card huh?" Honda muttered, staring out at the arena as the others held silent.

 

The blond nodded, swallowing. "Yeah... A card..." Something...

 

"Waiting for your trump card?" Rebecca teased, dark smirk in place while the swords vanished completely from sight. "It won't do you any good... Lets face it," she continued, giggling, "I've won this match! And on my next turn," she continued, watching as Yugi drew his next card and stared at it momentarily. "You're history! Hnhnhnhnhn!"

 

Oh was she now? Katsuya grit his teeth, glaring at the board. He bet that the next card Yugi had would-

 

...What was that look on his face...

 

...And why was his Dark Magician already vanishing from sight, along with the Shadow Ghoul? "Rebecca," Yugi said calmly, placing the card back on his deck along with his hand. "...I surrender."

 

W... What... "What," Katsuya said quietly, watching as Rebecca grinned wickedly. He shook his head, eyes widening as he looked forward. "W-WHAT!"

 

"Katsuya-nii," Mokuba growled, rubbing his ears. "Keep it down!" The blond ignored him, running over to the exit of the arena as Yugi walked out. "Y-Yugi!" he called, frowning somewhat as the boy stepped toward them. Why... Why did...

 

...Why did Yugi seem happy? "Yugi," Honda asked, frowning. "Why did you quit?" he continued, the others staring as well. From inside the arena loud shouts were echoing around the room, Rebecca jumping around with her bear in her hands as she laughed.

 

"We won!" she shouted with a grin, voice echoing around the room to their distaste. "We won Teddy-chan! _YES_!" The others continued to watch as Yugi turned to them, confused expressions in place as their friend merely smiled.

 

"...What's going on?" Anzu said confusedly, blinking with somewhat narrowed eyes. "Yugi... Why..."

 

"I'd like the card now 'please'," a familiar and aggravating voice said from the side, Yugi remaining somewhat silent as he moved to let Rebecca past. The others grimaced, nonetheless holding their tongues as the 'winner' put her suitcase to the side and held her hand out. "I know you have it with you," she continued, narrowing her eyes. "I was told you always have it after all..." Yeah, a real little 'know it all' wasn't she? Let alone the fact that they had no clue who told her all this crap.

 

Katsuya bit his tongue, watching as Sugoroku slowly and carefully pulled out the taped up card he'd carried with him since the day at Death-T. "Very well," the old man stated, nodding his head somewhat morosely. "Here you are," he said quietly, holding it out as Rebecca gaped.

 

"You... You tore it!" she whispered, staring at the worn edges of the paper with wide eyes before looking at its owner with unbridled rage. The others mentally groaned, wincing slightly as the girl continued to stare with shock "YOU _FUCKING_ TORE IT," she screeched, the others jumping back. Gh..! What the-

 

"Shit," Katsuya muttered, shaking his head as he stared at the girl, who was currently regaining her breath. "Where th' hell did that one..."

 

"I'm gonna say tenth grade," Honda answered under his breath, eyes not moving from the red faced little girl before them. "...Maybe ninth."

 

"I don't believe it!" Rebecca roared, the man before her nervously pulling back under the volume of the shouts. "You tore my Grandpa's card!"

 

"I'm very sorry," Sugoroku said quietly, shaking his head as he held the card gently. "I did try to tell you but-"

 

The girl merely shook her head, nails digging into the bear at her side as she continued to shout. "You ripped it clean in half, just so no one would use it! Just so you could have it all to yourself!" Aaaugh, just shut up already!

 

"I wanted to tell you earlier," the man insisted, Mokuba currently looking away somewhat guiltily at the mention of the card, "I tried to explain but-"

 

"No. More. EXCUSES!" she roared, Katsuya rolling his eyes and moving forward. "THIS IS-"

 

" _That's enough!_ " The group all tensed, turning as a stern and clear voice sounded through the room from the side of the main elevator. Who was that? They stared, eyes wide as a somewhat well dressed old man stepped forward from the hall, cane in hand as he looked toward Rebecca with slightly narrowed eyes. " _That's enough, Rebecca. Calm down... This is not how a 'lady' acts after all_ ," he said with a somewhat disciplinary nod, the girl hurriedly flushing and bowing her head in response. Well, obviously whatever he said did the trick...

 

Wait...

 

The old man continued to step forward, Mokuba staring in confusion as the others blinked. That would mean that this... This was Rebecca's Grandfather. "H-How... How did you get up here?" Mokuba managed to ask, shaking his head as he stared.

 

"That's right," Anzu said slowly, shaking her head and frowning. "Mokuba said that this floor is closed off right now, so how..."

 

The old man smiled, shaking his head. "An interesting thing," he stated in Japanese, holding his cane to the side as he spoke. "But when I contacted the police in the area for information on the whereabouts of my granddaughter," he stated, "I was told that she was last spotted entering the 'KaibaLand' building. Within one call," the man continued, "Not only did the police manage to contact the manager of the building, but as it turned out the CEO himself was notified when the manager became unsure of just how a young American child could have entered without their knowing. Apparently, Kaiba-san had an idea," he continued, Mokuba ducking his head as the old man turned to him, "And had one of the staff activate the side elevator to allow me in. I must ask you to thank your brother for me," he continued, bowing his head to Mokuba as the boy nodded somewhat weakly. "It's quite likely that without his help," he continued, "I would have had to give an extremely upsetting call to my daughter concerning all of this." Um...

 

Ok... The others stared, blinking a few times as the man turned back to them. "Wow," Anzu muttered, blinking a few times. "Kaiba did that?" Sheesh...

 

Calling in the boss of all bosses in the company, wasn't that a little... Mokuba brightened somewhat, smirking as he turned to the others. "Heh... Nii-sama's a good person when he wants to be you know!" When she wanted, being the key term here...

 

But hey, the kid still had a point. Katsuya shook his head, turning as more talking continued on from the side. "Ahhh... Sugoroku," 'Arthur' said cheerfully, pulling the group's thoughts back to the reason they were there. "It's been a long time," he continued, bowing his head to the shorter old man. "You're looking well..."

 

"Hahahahaaaa... As well as I can be at this age Arthur!" Sugoroku shook his head, laughing while he shook his head and looked up at his friend. "A 'long time' indeed..."

 

The others watched as the two old men exchanged greetings, before Rebecca tensed up again. " _G-... Grandpa,_ " she shouted in English, frowning as she grabbed at her grandfather's arm. " _Grandpa, he tore your card in half,_ " she protested, shaking her head. " _How can you talk to him like thi-_ "

 

" _He didn't tear it_!" Rebecca jumped as Mokuba angrily came to the old man's defense, somewhat redfaced as stuttering and accented English came out. The girl stared, as did the others in a shocked silence as the boy continued, bowing his head to the side somewhat. " _...It... Someone else tore it_ ," he continued, shaking his head. " _It wasn't him..._ " Er...

 

...What was he saying? ...Damn it, he should have paid more attention in English...

 

Rebecca frowned, turning on the boy almost immediately with the shout. " _Someone else?_!" she questioned, eyes wide. " _Who! Who did it?_ " ...Okay, he knew what that word meant. The boy turned away somewhat, swallowing as the girl continued shouting. " _Who-_ "

 

"Oi oi oi!" Katsuya shouted, stepping between the two with a scowl. That was it! He might not have known what was being said, but he had a pretty decent idea... "Lay off!"

 

The girl growled, shaking her head. "No! I have a right to know," she continued bitterly, "And if he says he knows who ripped it, then-"

 

"Rebecca..." Arthur turned from where he was speaking with Sugoroku, sending a stern glare down at his granddaughter to match the dangerous tone his voice held. "Behave!"

 

She bowed her head, nodding and turning away with a scowl. " _Sorry Grandpa_..." Yeah, she was 'sorry' alright...

 

The old man sighed, turning to the others for a moment and shaking his head. "I must apologize completely for how she's been acting," he said with a sigh, frowning. "She's normally quite kind, if not quiet even..." Yeah. He'd believe that when the words described Seto. "Now then," he continued, shaking his head as he moved from Sugoroku's side. "Rebecca," he said calmly, "There's something you need to understand about this duel. Come," he continued, gesturing toward the arena and walking toward the table. "Both of you," he added politely, Yugi slowly nodding as they followed down the bridge.

 

Arthur moved over to where Yugi's deck still sat, slowly lifting the top card and nodding to himself.

 

"As I thought," he stated, smiling. The man turned, looking down at Yugi and shaking his head with a chuckling smile. "You're just like your Grandfather... A kind heart. Now then. Rebecca," he continued, looking at his own grandchild and shaking his head, "You did not win that match."

 

...Wait what.

 

Rebecca frowned, shaking her head as the others as well stared in silence. "That's... But that's not true," she muttered, "I..."

 

Arthur held the card forward, the others watching as Rebecca gave a loud and fearful gasp, the girl stepping forward with her hands on her mouth. "Soul Release," her grandfather said with a smile, shaking his head before putting it back on the deck at the table. "Had he used this card," the man explained, carefully handing the deck back to Yugi, "Five monsters from the graveyard would have been removed from play. Your Shadow Ghoul," he continued, "Would have been just weak enough for the Dark Magician to defeat... And then it would all be over."

 

"But... That's..." She shook her head, frowning. "That's..." The girl swallowed, staring at the ground for a moment. "Why!" she finally shouted, shaking her head as she turned to Yugi. The boy turned away, sending a glance toward his grandfather as the girl continued to shake her head. "...Why?" Rebecca continued to press, her grandfather giving a somewhat exasperated sigh.

 

He placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, smiling. "You don't know why?” he asked, chuckling somewhat and shaking his head. "Because he, like his Grandfather, has a kind heart... He wanted to 'save' you," he continued, those outside the arena tilting their heads somewhat. Er... 'Save'? "As Sugoroku did for me. You see," he continued, looking back down the bridge at the old man while the others followed his gaze, "When Sugoroku and I were dueling, I became fatigued. It was hard for me to see, hard for me to breathe even... Closed spaces can do that to some people, and evidently I was one of them. He forfeited that match so that I would take the water," Arthur continued, bowing his head. "And later, when we were rescued," the man went on, "I asked him... 'Why did you forfeit that match?' And he told me, 'Winning is not important... But life, however, is.'"

 

Rebecca looked up, frowning somewhat as they made their way from the arena to the others. No one dared to interrupt.

 

"Rebecca," her grandfather said calmly, "In any 'game' or 'career', one must always honor those involved... Be they people," he said with a smile, not moving his gaze from the girl, "Or the cards themselves... Because despite what most may think, even a a simple 'piece of paper' is enough to change the flow of fate. I might have sacrificed those monsters during my duels to give the Shadow Ghoul power," Arthur continued, still smiling, "I still respected and honored that sacrifice. A true duelist Rebecca, is not someone who 'wins'," he explained calmly. "It's one who shows respect for their opponent and themselves, despite what fate throws at them. A true duelist needs a caring heart," he continued, turning back to the others. "A heart and a drive for whatever they do in life. After that duel, after we both recovered... I _gave_ Sugoroku that card, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Because compared to life... It's more than worth the price. And I don't regret that choice..."

 

"...But... Grandpa," Rebecca continued to protest, frowning. "The card is..." Sugoroku bowed his head, watching as his friend walked over and looked over the card. Torn completely in two, the edges were taped back together with scotch tape.

 

"Yes," Arthur said calmly, "I can see that... But that's fine." Katsuya blinked, staring a few times. Er...

 

...It was? The old man smiled, looking at his friend as the other smiled back.

 

"The fact that you kept it old friend, is more than enough for me; I don't need to know why it's been torn," he continued, Katsuya mentally smacking himself over the head for missing the point, "I only need to know that you'll always remember what this card represents. Because even when torn," the man added calmly, "Our friendship will still be intact." Damn it, well of course it was ok then. God...

 

The old man nodded, pocketing the card with a calm smile. "I wouldn't have it any other way Arthur."

 

A strange silence settled over the area, a few of the others shifting awkwardly. Sooo...

 

That was fixed. Uh...

 

What now? "...Yugi," Rebecca said quietly, the others turning from the old men to stare at the girl. She stared at the ground face a beet red as she turned somewhat awkwardly from the looks to grip her bear. "All of you... I... I need to apologize..." Damn straight she did. The others stared, most bearing a mixed look of surprise and annoyance as the girl continued. "I... I really did think that you had done all that! Stealing the card I mean... And..."

 

She bit her lip, still completely red-faced as she stared at the ground. "It's fine," Yugi said with a smile, shaking his head. The girl blinked, the others as well staring with slight surprise. "Besides... You know now, right?" Again, the girl choked, staring at the ground somewhat while Yugi dug around in his pockets for something. "Here," he continued, smiling. The boy held out a card, Rebecca slowly taking it from him with a frown. "It's not Blue-Eyes... But I want you to have this, alright?"

 

Rebecca frowned somewhat, slowly taking the card and looking over it as the others stared at it as well. "...The Ties of Friendship?" Eh? Where did Yugi get that card? The boy nodded, still smiling. "Yeah; it can't be used in a duel," he added, shrugging somewhat, "But... It's a special card, alright?"

 

"...Right..." Rebecca stared at the card, slowly nodding before carefully putting it in a pocket on her suitcase. "O-Of course!"

 

"Well now," Arthur said from the side, the others turning. "I would say that's quite enough excitement for today... What do you say we calm this down with a playful match ourselves?" he said with a laugh, turning to Sugoroku as the old man nodded.

 

"Well," he muttered in response, "I think that if I can handle watching those holograms from the sidelines it won't be too much from inside..." Er... Really? Mokuba and Katsuya both shared a nervous glance, before shrugging and looking back.

 

"Do you still have your old deck," Arthur asked his friend with a wink, chuckling as Sugoroku smirked.

 

"Hoh! The game is only seven years old Arthur, that's hardly old," he said with a laugh.

 

"Hahahahaha!"

 

Katsuya grinned, shaking his head. Well, whatever right? If he thought he was ok, he was probably ok. "Aw this I gotta see," he said with a laugh. "'Duelin' Grandpas'!"

 

"O-Oi," Mokuba said nervously, shaking his head with a small laugh. "Is that really a good idea, it's completely different from inside! A-Ahhhh..."

 

Sugoroku waved the boy off, shaking his head and moving toward the arena. "I'll be fine," he insisted, reaching for the gate. "Completely-"

 

_-crack_

 

The man abruptly froze, hands snapping to his back as Arthur blinked from where he stood. "O-Ooooohh..."

 

"...Sugoroku?" Arthur asked with a cough, staring. "Are you sure you're alright?"

 

"O-Oiii, jii-chan..."

 

"Seriously jii-chan..."

 

The old man groaned somewhat, turning from the arena and rubbing his back. "I think it'd be best... Of we just headed home now," he forced out, setting his back straight with another crack as the others shook their heads.

 

"That's probably a good idea," Yugi said with a slight laugh, turning with the others toward the hall and the elevator. "Hahaha... ...Let's just go home..."

 


	12. Luck Over Skill

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: The final scene of this chapter involves details of child abuse (physical, mental) due to Otogi's backstory. Proceed only at your own risk.

 

"The Black Clown's openin' this week... Yugi, you think you'll be able t' make th' opening?"

 

This was the conversation that ended up cropping up during the lunch break as the bell rang on the first day of school, the majority of them crowding around where Yugi's desk was. Somehow, with luck, the boy's desk was right beside Katsuya's, a fairly comforting fact when added to the point that they were all in the same classroom. Everyone else in the group...

 

Scattered around the complete opposite ends of the room. Anzu in one corner, Honda in another with Bakura... Eck.

 

At least they'd made it into the same classroom. Yugi rubbed his head, frowning somewhat as he looked back at the blond. "I don't know," he finally said, biting his lip. "Grandpa is really... Really... Not in a good mood about it..."

 

"Besides," Anzu said with a shudder, shaking her head. "The clown they have standing outside that store is just... Ugghhh..."

 

The boys blinked, Bakura turning to Yugi with raised eyebrows before looking back at Anzu. "...Just what exactly do you mean about the clown?"

 

Yugi coughed, shaking his head as he answered for the woman. "Er... He got really close with the balloons he was passing out to the kids outside the store..." ...Kay...

 

What did that mean...

 

"Look, can we just change the subject," Anzu asked, attempting to push the subject as far from the conversation as possible. "...Please?" Er...

 

Rough subject then? "Hey Jonouchi," Honda asked, hands behind his head. "You said your sisters bandages were supposed to come off a few weeks ago right?" The blond blinked, looking back as the teen asked this. "So... How'd it go? You said the surgery went alright didn't you?" The others turned, looking somewhat expectantly as the blond smirked.

 

"Heh... Gave 'r a call las' night," he said with a grin, laughing. "They're cured!"

 

"Aaaahh! That's great!"

 

"We should go visit her," Honda said with a grin, nodding his head.

 

Katsuya laughed, shaking his head. "I think I'll visit, an' you can stay here. She's jus' started Highschool," he continued seriously, crossing his arms, "And I ain't lettin' anythin' bug her!"

 

"Awww, so mean," Honda said with a sigh, shaking his head. "Have a bit of sympathy..."

 

"Eh, what's so mean?"

 

The group jumped, Katsuya fumbling over his desk before staring as Mokuba stood at the door to the room. "H-H-Hehh! M-M-Mokuba!"

 

Mokuba grinned, laughing as the others stared. He walked over, cloth wrapped bento-box in hand as his unbuttoned jacket flew somewhat behind him. "But... You're supposed to be in school," Honda muttered, eyes wide as the boy sat on one of the empty desks. "What the hell are you doing-"

 

There was a short laugh from where Anzu stood, the woman shaking her head. "Oh no... You convinced your brother to let you go to Domino Middle didn't you..." The others blinked, turning. S-Seriously?

 

She let him do that? Hell, the elementary was one thing, it was the only one in the area... But...

 

Domino wasn't exactly the most prestigious of schools... Hell, the only one worse was likely 'Rintama'.

 

Nonetheless the boy nodded, smirking as he opened up his lunch. "Yep! And since it's only a block away," he added with a somewhat conniving grin, "I can get here easy! ...I actually think that might be part of it," he added with a blink, pulling his chopsticks apart with a snap before frowning.

 

"...Er... 'Part of it'?" Yugi repeated, blinking. "How would that..."

 

The boy again nodded, chopsticks in hand as he picked up a small clump of rice. "Yeah! I think niisama figures that if anything happens," he explained, taking a moment to chew and swallow the rice, "I can come over here until he shows up, or even just to get help from you guys..."

 

Katsuya stared, pointing briefly at himself as the others blinked. "Nh... Does sh... Does he really trust us with that kind of thing..? I didn't think S- Kaiba really liked any of us that much, aha..."

 

Though he probably wouldn't be the first to notice that the 'White Day' chocolate he'd bought had not been thrown out...

 

So maybe it was just him.

 

Their friend merely shrugged, before a shout from the side caught their attention and caused most of them to put their own lunches down. "Kyaa _aaah_!" one of the girls squealed, voice piercing most of the eardrums of those nearby. "That's so awesome!~" Er...

 

Say what now? They turned, looking over to the far side where a fair number of the girls from the class were crowded and frowning. "Hn... What?"

 

"Oh... So this is what they meant..." The others shook their heads, turning to Bakura as the albino stared over at a student they didn't recognize. Black wavy hair, green eyes... Definitely not Japanese but...

 

Huh...

 

The teen blinked at the stares, before explaining with a short cough. "A while ago... One of the girls who started a fanclub for me kept on telling me about how she and the members wouldn't turn to the 'dark side' as they put it..." He sighed, shaking his head. "I tried to tell them that it didn't matter, and that I didn't even need a fanclub but she just wouldn't listen..." How terrible Bakura. How... Truly terrible... The albino continued to frown, before shrugging. "Well... At least I have a slight idea as to what they were talking about now...”

 

Yeah, he supposed so. Still... A second 'bishie' eh? The group stared as the girls around the table continued to squeal, the teen they were staring at merely tossing some dice into a cup before shaking it about to somehow stack them all by dropping them from the cup. "Wuaa _aaah_! Amazing!"

 

"Sheesh," the blond muttered, eyes narrowed somewhat. "What kinda show-off is that..."

 

Mokuba stared, blinking a few times before looking back. "Ah... Is he one of your classmates then?" The others nodded, still staring.

 

"Hm... I think his name is Otogi Ryuji," Yugi stated, crossing his arms. Wait... So he _was_ Japanese? Then again, he wasn't really one to talk... Being...

 

Blond and all...

 

Where the hell did he and his Dad even get that?

 

"He transferred here before the year started," the boy continued, "So he wasn't in any of the first year classes last year..." Huh... Interesting.

 

Honda nodded with those words, shrugging as he turned to Mokuba and explained. "The fact is," he said as he opened up his lunch, "Now that we've moved on to the second year and changed classrooms, we don't know most of the people here ourselves."

 

"It's lucky that we're all in the same class as it is," Bakura added, the others continuing to look over at 'Otogi'. "In fact, I think that the only reason why we're all here is because of overflow from 2-A and 2-C..." Yeah, well whatever...

 

Katsuya frowned, before snorting as he continued to stare at 'Otogi'. "Mannn... Hate those kind of guys," he muttered, crossing his arms. "All he's doin' is usin' dice tricks t' get girls..."

 

The others turned, a few shaking their heads before Anzu sighed. "That's because you're jealous of them," she muttered, the comment more or less sliding past the blond's attention.

 

Katsuya crossed his arms, again snorting. "Hn! Whatever," he shouted, grumbling somewhat. "I think it's better to hide your talent, and not show it off to anyone... Better than bein' a big ol' show off like 'Otogi' over there," he muttered under his breath.

 

At this, Mokuba snickered, returning to his lunch while Honda shook his head. "Jonouchi, what kind of talent do you even have?" he asked through a mouthful of rice, pointing somewhat at the blond with his chopsticks.

 

"Gh- You were right there at Duelist Kingdom, what're y' talkin' about! It's in Duel Monsters," he shouted, glaring at his friend, "Duel Monsters!"

 

"Oh?" The group turned, blinking as Otogi walked over from his desk with a small following of girls behind him. "You're a duelist?" he asked with fairly evident surprise, blinking a few times himself. "Really?"

 

Katsuya blinked, before nodding. "Yeah!" Of course! The two stared for a few moments, before the blond smirked. Heh... Maybe this guy wasn't too bad. "In fact... Y' heard of 'Bandit Keith'?" he asked, Otogi nodding in silence as the blond continued. "Former champion of the US... Def'nitly a professional right? An' in th' end, he still lost t' me," he said with a grin, crossing his arms. Hehehe, how could he not mention that? It was pretty awesome...

 

There was a loud smack sound as Mokuba brought a hand to his head, Anzu and Honda sighing behind him. "What an arrogant look," Anzu muttered, groaning. Wait what?

 

"Looks like 'not showing off' didn't last too long..." H-Hey! Hey!

 

"Katsuya-nii," Mokuba said with a frown, looking up at the blond as the teen looked back with an annoyed frown. "Didn't you just say-"

 

The boy was cut off, Otogi abruptly grinning and pulling Katsuya's attention back. "Ahhh, that's pretty incredible!" he said with a laugh, before continuing on as the blond grinned. "Duel Monster's is one of my favourite games," the teen continued with a nod, "For you to have beat Keith at that..." He chuckled, shaking his head. "Hey, we should play a game as well!" Eh...

 

Really? Katsuya blinked, sitting up from his desk as the grin shrank back to a more curious expression. "A game?" Not a duel monster's match he'd assume but...

 

A game? The others watched in silence as Otogi pulled out one of his die and cup, nodding. "Yeah- we'll make a bet," he continued with a 'smile', "Using this die and cup." Hnnn...

 

He stared for a few moments, before nodding. A bet eh? Okay then, this sounded fun! "Hehehe... Alrigh'," the blond shouted with a nod, standing up from his desk as Otogi took a seat at another. "Let's go then!"

 

Otogi nodded, shouts from behind him cheering him on as his 'opponent' grabbed his chair to turn it toward the desk he sat at. "Ok," he said clearly, the blond watching in silence as he took his seat. "Now watch carefully... In my hand I hold only one die... And in my other," he added, gesturing to his right hand, "The cup. Now," he continued, shaking the cup to show it was empty as he held it toward Katsuya, "I place one die in the cup..." The teen continued to shake the cup as he dropped the die in, rattling filling the air as its owner leaned against the desk. "And..."

 

_-SLAM_

 

"Now," he continued as Katsuya jumped, the cup slamming down on the table to cover the die, "The die is covered by the cup," Otogi stated clearly, moving his hands away from it and continuing to explain. "And there's nothing in my hands..." Yeah... That was right...

 

...Why did he sound like a stage magician... "Now then... Do you believe that I can get this die with my right hand, without touching the cup in any way," he asked, 'opponent' frowning somewhat. Get the die without... "Would you be willing to bet on that?" Heh...

 

The blond smirked, nodding as he crossed his arms. Of course! There was no way he could get it out; the die was in there, definitely... "Sure thing!" he said clearly, nodding his head.

 

Otogi crossed his arms, continuing on with a smile. "If I lose, then for one week, I'll do anything you ask... _Anything_ ," he emphasized, the blond across from him narrowing his eyes. "Of course," he added as the girls behind him screamed, the others momentarily looking at them before turning back, "Contrary to that," he warned, smile darkening into an odd smirk, "If you lose Jonouchi, you have to do whatever I say for an entire week..."

 

"Heh!" Katsuya smirked, the others still looking in silence. "Can't refuse that!" This would be pretty interesting...

 

...What the hell would he make Otogi do though, hnnn...

 

Chuckling filled the air, Otogi lifting a closed fist up. "Hehehehehe... And yet after all that talking," he said with a sigh, "I already have the die in my hands..."

 

...No fucking way.

 

"What!" Otogi smirked, narrowing his eyes. "What, you think I'm lying?" he asked, gesturing to the cup. "Why not see for yourself? I'm telling the truth..." Gh! Like hell! The blond reached for the cup, ignoring the sounds of another slap behind him as he lifted it up. The die had to be-

 

"E-Eh..." He blinked, pausing for a moment. It... It was... "It's still..."

 

In a flash Otogi reached out, snatching the die in his right hand with a smirk. "Aha! I got the die!" he said with a grin, holding it out for Katsuya to look at with wide eyes, "And I didn't even touch the cup!" He chuckled, leaning back and crossing his arms as his 'opponent' seethed. "I win!" W-WHAT?

 

"Are you kiddin' me," he shouted, standing up from the desk. "That's bullshit!" Yugi frowned, the others scowling as well. "That's really cheap Otogi-san! You can't call that a game!"

 

"Yeah," Mokuba added with a scowl, before turning to Katsuya with a somewhat annoyed frown. "Though you have to admit," he added rather darkly, "Katsuya-nii, you fell for that hands down..."

 

"Nhhh..." He groaned, turning on the boy. "You're s'pposed t' be on my side!"

 

Otogi merely laughed, shaking his head. "Really!" he said, looking at the group, "When determining the win or loss of a game, don't you use your opponent's weakness against them? Hehehehehe..." Damn it... Katsuya growled, the others narrowing their eyes as Otogi continued. "You should listen to your friend there Jonouchi," he said calmly, shaking his head. "But back to the matter at hand... A bet is a bet," he continued as he stood up from his seat, smirking darkly. "From today until next week Jonouchi, you have to do whatever I say... Understand?"

 

Katsuya slammed his head into his hands, groaning. "Ahhhhhh damn it..." What the hell...

 

How the hell did he fall for that... "Jonouchi-kun, don't listen to him," Yugi shouted, Otogi still smirking as the boy glared at him. "This is a cheap trick," he continued, shaking his head. "This was a set up, it's not fair!" The teen snorted, shaking his head. "Cheap," he repeated incredulously, smirking. "And just how exactly is it cheap?"

 

"You said it yourself," Yugi continued, frowning as he looked up at the teen. "If you got the die without touching the cup, you won! But you just tricked him into moving it for you!"

 

Otogi merely shook his head, spinning the die around in his fingers. "And that's gambling! All I said was that I didn't have to touch the cup... Therefore," he said with a smirk, "I didn't cheat."

 

The boy continued to frown, looking decidedly torn as he ran over the answer. Despite what all morals said, the fact was... "B-But..." ...Damn it...

 

Mokuba sighed, shaking his head. "Sorry Yugi... But he's actually right. And the fact is," he added, muttering as he shook his head, "The 'other' you has pulled that a few times as well..."

 

The boy fell silent, biting his lip as Otogi continued to smirk. "Listen... From the very start," he said calmly, "It was Jonouchi's own fault that he didn't notice the weak point in this game..."

 

"Weakness?" Yugi repeated incredulously, Katsuya scowling as the others watched in silence. Oh come on, did he seriously have to keep rubbing it in then? Otogi shrugged, pocketing his die before explaining. "If my hand didn't touch the cup," the teen began, "Then it was impossible for me to take the die! What other choice did I have? For the game to be fair, of course I would have to fool someone into moving it for me! Then again," he added with a smirk, "Jonouchi would need to know if the die was still there, so all he could do was lift the cup and look beneath it..." Wait wait wait...

 

The blond narrowed his eyes, running the words through his head again. "Wait a sec," he muttered, shaking his head. "So you planned that from the start?" He knew he'd lift the cup?

 

"Hahaha!" Otogi grinned, shaking his head. "You finally got it! It took you long enough!" Katsuya grit his teeth, narrowing his eyes. Alright, that was just...

 

"Again!" he shouted, clenching his fists as he glared over the desk. "One more time," he continued with a growl, "We'll try this again!"

 

"Hnn..." Otogi brought a hand to his chin in thought, before nodding with a dark smirk. "Alright then, I suppose we could do that... However," he continued, frowning, "If you lose again, you'll be my 'dog' for the next two weeks, day and night... No exceptions," the teen added, Katsuya swallowing in response. "Clear?"

 

Shit, he definitely had to win then. "J-Jonouchi-kun," Yugi protested with a frown, looking at the blond nervously. "Don't compete again..."

 

"Yeah Katsuya-nii, don't you think he's probably going to pull something like this again? And besides," Mokuba added with an equally dark frown, "If this guy decides to keep you past a certain time, Nii-sama's going to-"

 

The blond scowled, not looking at the two. "Just mind yer own business, I'll be fine!" The two pulled back while Otogi smirked, pulling a deck of cards from his pocket with a laugh.

 

"Alright then... This time," he said with a nod, holding out the cards as he pulled them from the box "We'll be using this deck of playing cards." Normal cards, ok.

 

He nodded, still frowning as he thought about what kind of game would be set up. "No problem!"

 

"Okay then..." He pulled the cards from the deck, pulling four out before pocketing the rest of the cards. "I've prepared four aces," he said calmly, smiling as he held them forward for the blond to see. "Watch..." He flipped them all over, mixing the four cards about the table quickly enough for his arms to simply blur until they were lined up neatly in a single row. "I've mixed them up, face down... Neither you nor myself know which one is which," he continued, the others watching somewhat curiously as Katsuya stared. "It's a standard deck; four suits, two colours. The spades and clubs are black," he explained calmly, "While the hearts and diamonds red... From these cards," Otogi stated clearly, looking back from the cards to his opponent, "You can pick two, Jonouchi; if both of them are black, or both of them are red, then you win! Understand?" Alright then...

 

So there was a 50/50 shot at all this. Four cards, two were right... It looked fair... He nodded, swallowing as the others moved from where they were eating their food to look over his shoulder. "Alright," he said clearly, Otogi nodding across from him. "Then start!"

 

"You better win this time," Honda was saying from behind, eyes wide as he swallowed another chunk of his food. The others merely stared at the cards, Yugi in particular frowning as the blond looked over the four. Concentrate, concentrate...

 

He'd seen Otogi mix them up, and as fast as it was... Alright! "Ok," he shouted, tapping the two in the middle. Had to be these two, had to be... "These ones!" Otogi flipped them over in a flash, only for Katsuya to draw back with a groan. "Ah... Clubs and Hearts..." S-Shit, red and black!

 

The blond held his head, looking back over the desk with a scowl. "It looks like I win," Otogi said calmly, gathering the cards again. "Damn it... Otogi," the blond shouted, gritting his teeth as the others traded looks behind him. No way, he wasn't... "One more time!"

 

The teen smirked, spreading the cards out again and mixing them. "Well," he said with an odd smile, leaning back on his chair. "Someone's not being a good dog..." Not. A. DOG!

 

"You shut up damn it!"

 

"Oooh," he said with a laugh, "Did I hit a sore spot?"

 

"Ghhnnnn..." Katsuya tapped the middle-left and far right cards, growling. "This one an' this one," he shouted loudly, only to watch as the aces of clubs and diamonds appeared when the cards were flipped over. Hell...

 

No way...

 

No way, this was 50/50, how did he get it wrong again! "Wow... Jonouchi," Otogi said with a sigh, gathering the cards again and tapping them against the desk. "Your luck is really bad neh? It's a fair game," he continued, shrugging with a laugh, "And you still didn't win..."

 

The others swallowed, wincing as the blond continued to seethe at the desk. "J-Jonouchi-kun..."

 

"Katsuya-nii... Ahhh..."

 

"Alright," Otogi said with a smirk, standing from the desk and tapping the cards against his hand. "Time for you to uphold your end of the bet! From now on," he continued with a grin, "You are my dog, and you have to follow my commands!" Ahh hell, this sucked... This really... Damn it. "And my first order," the teen said with a smirk, pointing at the blond, "Is that you can't speak to anyone other than me..." What? That was bullshit... No talking?

 

God...

 

Katsuya grit his teeth, listening as Otogi continued. "Also, since you obviously take being a dog so well..." Oh fuck no. "When you answer to me, you need to bark like one, understand?" Oh _FUCK NO!_

 

"Otogi-san," Yugi protested with a frown, the others as well scowling as their friend slumped in the desk with a groan. "We're classmates! How can you tell him that?"

 

Honda shook his head, gritting his teeth. "This is just too weird! I get the dog thing, but telling him to keep his mouth shut?" Wait, so he was alright with the dog thing? "Come on man, you don't even know this guy!"

 

"That's right," Anzu said with a frown, putting her empty bento box to the side and looking at the blond. "Jonouchi, don't listen to a word this guy says! It's just a stupid bet, you don't have to listen!"

 

"Yeah! Besides," Mokuba added, frowning. "What's going to happen when the teacher calls on you?" Er what? "We get enough calls from your mom complaining about the marks!"

 

E-Eh! This was his major concern? Seriously? Ahh _hhhgggh_...

 

Katsuya scratched his head, turning back to the others. Screw it. This was his mess, his issue... "Look... Guys," he muttered under his breath, ignoring the scowls from 'both sides' as it were. "It's alrigh', I'll be fine... 'S my own damn problem anyways," he added bitterly, "So-"

 

"Jonouchi," Otogi said darkly, pulling something from his pocket as the others turned. What... "I don't recall giving you permission to talk to anyone..!"

 

A sudden clack noise came from the side, a large die smacking the blond in the face before clattering to the ground beneath the desks. "GH! OI-!" OW. Ow _fuck_ what was that! "What th' hell!" The blond rubbed his face, the others jumping with wide eyes before Katsuya looked down to spot the die that had struck him beneath the eye. "Agggghh..."

 

"God," Honda muttered under his breath, looking from the die to the rather interesting 'one' impression on his friend's cheek. "What a damn skunk..." Ow ow ow...

 

"Screw th' bet," he muttered under his breath, glaring at Otogi and pulling out of the chair to join the others. "I ain't dealin' with this shit..."

 

Otogi shook his head, smirking darkly. "Now come on... I even gave you a second round! Besides," he continued, spinning another die around in his hand. "You're the one who went back on your word... Now bark," he shouted, grinning as the blond scowled silently in response. "Come on now, bark!" He swore it when he saw this guy outside of the school...

 

"...Otogi..."

 

Suddenly, the pain in his cheek was the last thing on his mind. A wind seemed to pass over, the blond slowly moving his hand from his cheek and looking back to Yugi, at where the 'wind' and almost electric feeling seemed to come from. The boy gripped the chain he'd recently strung the puzzle on, eyes narrowed as he made to switch out with his other half. Strands of hair rose up on end, and the puzzle itself appeared to glow with a blinding light.

 

"Otogi," the boy roared, the others staring somewhat as the other Yugi's presence was realized, confident tones echoing through the room as a few of the other students stood back with wide eyes. "That's enough!" He pulled the chair back from the desk Otogi sat at, narrowing his eyes. "You've taken this far enough..."

 

"Y-Yugi..!" Please don't make him go crazy, please don't make him go crazy... "Eh..."

 

The boy ignored him, leaning somewhat over the table across from Otogi. "How about you play against me," he said with narrowed eyes, the teen across from him merely smirking. "If you win," he continued, "I'll only ask one thing of you, and that'll be all. All you'll need to do is take back your deal with Jonouchi, and that's it."

 

Otogi stared, slowly taking a seat again and unfolding the four aces from his hand. "Well... That sounds fair," he said with a nod, placing the cards on the table and slowly spinning them around. "However, if you lose," the teen continued, evening the cards out and leaning back, "You must obey my every order, just like your mutt over there..."

 

"GH-" Hang onnnnnn... "What'd you jus'-"

 

"Katsuya-nii," Mokuba protested, pulling at the blond's arm, "Calm down!" The blond seethed, before freezing up again as the 'normal' Yugi appeared at his other's side. Aw hell, this again? And...

 

Wait... ...Speaking... Katsuya narrowed his eyes, frowning somewhat. The first time he saw shadow, and heard words. Every time after that, the shadow seemed to become clearer, until he could swear Yugi was standing right beside himself. And now it was clear to him that they were speaking, but what about?

 

It was so weird, the normal Yugi's lips were moving but...

 

"We'll play the same game," Otogi was saying, Katsuya's attention pulled back from the conversation as the 'spirit' Yugi vanished from sight. "Four Aces..."

 

"Of course," the other Yugi said with a nod, before smirking as he pointed to the deck of cards Otogi was holding. "But I want to add the 'Joker' to that." Eh? Otogi blinked, frowning somewhat as the boy explained. "We'll take turns picking up one of the cards off this table; whoever matches black with black or red with red wins... But if you draw the joker," he continued with a dark expression, "You lose. And if we both win, or draw red and black," he continued, "Then we'll draw. Is that alright with you?"

 

Otogi stared, before slowly reaching into the deck of cards at the side to mix in the joker with the aces on the table. "Alright," he said after a moment's silence, nodding as he neatened out the line of cards. "That sounds fine to me..."

 

"Good... Then I'll go first," Yugi said calmly, the others circling around the table to watch. He pulled a card over, looking it over before leaning back on his seat. Ace of hearts. Across from the boy Otogi pulled his card out, silently looking it over before holding it close. Spades. He couldn't see it but...

 

Yugi drew next, _clubs_ , as did Otogi...

 

"Alright! Show your cards," he said clearly, slapping his own on the table. Yugi's cards... Ace of clubs and hearts.

 

How the hell did he know what without seeing...

 

"Red and black," the boy said, before watching Otogi slam his own on the table with a growl. "Gh... Black and Joker!" Spades. Otogi had...

 

Spades...

 

He shook it off, grinning. Spades didn't matter when the other card was that one! Hehehe... YES! The Joker! An instant loss!

 

Yugi smirked, crossing his arms as the others grinned behind him. "I win," he said rather confidently, only for his opponent to grit his teeth.

 

"Damn it," he growled, sending his cards over to the boy with narrowed eyes. "One more time!" Yugi nodded, smiling as he gathered the cards and re-scattered them. "Alright," he said calmly, Katsuya silently laughing behind the boy as Otogi seethed. How'd it feel to lose eh? "Since I won last game, you can go first." The cards were evened out, lined up in a perfect row as the boy looked back at his opponent. "Game start," he continued, nodding toward his opponent. The teen grimaced, before grabbing a card off the table. One...

 

_Diamonds_. Two...

 

_Spades_ , now back to Otogi.

 

To Yugi.

 

How did he know... "Show your cards," Yugi said loudly, revealing the aces of spades and clubs both with a smirk. Otogi grit his teeth holding out the Joker and the ace of diamonds before slamming them on the table. Heh... No matter what, he'd lost! "Gh... DAMN IT!"

 

"Hahaha, lost again," Mokuba said with a grin, the others laughing as well. Hehehehe...

 

"It'll be ten thousand years b'fore you can beat Yugi," Katsuya said with a grin, crossing his arms. What did it matter about the weird sense about the cards, it was probably just wild guessing right? Heh...

 

"But Jonouchi, if it's ten thousand years, what does that say about your lose streak against him?" Honda said with a smirk, the blond tensing and turning on the teen with a growl as he forgot about the 'cards'.

 

"Why you-!"

 

"Agggghh... Yugi!" Otogi roared, slamming his fist on the table as the crowd jumped. "How dare you!" he shouted, gritting his teeth. "How dare you set me in a bar bet!"

 

Yugi merely chuckled, shaking his head as the others turned to the boy. "Er... 'Bar bet'?" Katsuya asked, frowning. What the hell was a bar bet?

 

The boy continued chuckling, shaking his head. "Jonouchi," he said calmly, "The game you played against Otogi wasn't a fair game... However," he continued, turning back to Otogi as the blond tensed, "This one was," he said darkly, tone growing dead serious.

 

Otogi continued to grit his teeth, now faced with a fair number of glares with the knowledge of the foul play. Oh, so the guy really had cheated then? "Damn it... And here I'd been thinkin' I was playin' a fair game..." Damn rat...

 

"Otogi," Yugi said with narrowed eyes, the teen across from them moving from the desk. "If you think you can put a rift between us with cheap tricks," he spat, pulling away from the desk himself, "You have another thing coming..." The group was answered with silence, Otogi merely staring at them with narrowed eyes before leaving the classroom.

 

"Hn... Understood," he said somewhat oddly, disappearing into the hall as those paying attention in the room stared after him. "Understood..."

 

* * *

 

Lunch had needless to say passed rather awkwardly after that, given the silence that resulted in Otogi's wake. The silence was thankfully broken when Yugi went to eat the lunch his lighter half had packed, a somewhat successful grin on his face at the idea of eating the bento rather than staring at it...

 

Only for the lighter half to be slammed back into control, the boy sheepishly saying that evidently the 'other' one really didn't like the pickles he'd stored beside the rice. Or the can of milk he'd gotten from the machines for a drink. And of course, the pickle juice had pretty much tainted all of the rice as a result of being packed together so...

 

The only 'safe spot' his other self would have had was... Gone. So yeah.

 

Yeah that was interesting.

 

Not quite as interesting as everyone asking where Mokuba's own bento had come from though, once they realized that it had clearly not been store bought; Seto sure as hell didn't make it... Right...

 

...Right?

 

There was no answer to that in the end, the boy instead changing the subject to something else; evidently things had cooled down considerably between himself and Rebecca, to the point that they'd exchanged e-mails before she left for America again. As it turned out from what recent e-mails said, Rebecca was currently going through a 'prom rush', trying to get a dress for the event that would take place almost a full month before the end of school itself. Also as it turned out, she hadn't even used her real deck that day against Yugi; she'd built the one she used around her Grandfather's own, as a 'take that' to the people she considered thieves. Lousy little brat...

 

Though to her credit she was still apologizing about that, and asking somewhat worriedly if everyone was still sore about the incident.

 

...Damn it, he supposed he wasn't...

 

In any case shortly after that particular bit of info came out the clock had ticked down to ten-minutes to lunch, with Mokuba waving and leaving the room to head back to his own school. The rest of the class went by as expected. Slowly. Borderline painfully, as he attempted to figure out what algebra was about...

 

And with him constantly looking over at Otogi with narrowed eyes, at least from the corner since it was otherwise a little hard to turn to where the guy sat without the teacher noticing. Something wasn't right that guy. He kept looking over at Yugi with an almost... Vengeful look. At first he figured that was because of the card match at lunch but...

 

Something was off. The look had something else to it, more confused than anything. The blond shook his head as the bell rang for class to end, a few of the others staying behind to deal with clean up. Rather...

 

Everyone but him in terms of people that mattered to him. Damn it.

 

"Eh... Crappy luck, all 'f you guys gettin' clean up while I don'..." Really crappy...

 

Yugi merely shook his head, pulling a bucket from the side as the others grabbed brooms and mops to start clearing the room. "It's fine," he said with a shrug, turning to the blond. "Besides, you might as well go see Mokuba-kun off right?"

 

The blond nodded, waving at the others. "Right..." True, he might as well do that... The schools ended around the same time, so... Hey, maybe if he was lucky he'd get a ride back to the house. "Well, see yah!" he said with a slight shout, the others calling after as he left the room. Well...

 

He supposed this was alright. Not like he'd have been able to go to the arcade with them or anything...

 

The blond headed out of the school, switching the 'slippers' out for shoes and walking out only to give a short shout as he was tackled around the waist. "GOH!" Oww _wwww_ what the hell...

 

"Hah! Gotcha," a familiar voice said cheerfully, a mop of black hair meeting his vision at the same time. Katsuya groaned, doubling over as Mokuba stepped back to grin.

 

"Oh god, Mokuba... I ever tell y' you've got enough punch t' knock out a bull?" His gut...

 

Ahhhhh his gut...

 

The boy merely grinned, laughing as his friend recovered. "Hehehe... Nope," he said with a smirk, "But the riding teacher figures that if I wanted, I could kick someone clear across the room." Yeah that wasn't surprising... And didn't he look fairly happy about that though?

 

He shook his head, sighing as he shouldered his bag. "Yeah... Well... Whatever eh? Shouldn' there be a rolls outside th' middle school gate for y' or somethin' by now?" he asked, people walking around them as they spoke. Normally the car wasn't late for those two...

 

Mokuba merely shrugged, shaking his head. "Nah... I convinced Seto-niisama to let me walk," he explained with a smile, "Since it's closer than the elementary school. Besides," he added with a laugh, shaking his head. "I made it to the house back on White Day didn't I?" Yes...

 

Yes he did, but he didn't think-

 

"Oh my..." Aw hell not that voice. "Well look who I've run into." The two turned, blinking as Otogi walked over. Oh, great."I don't suppose you want to play another game sometime?" the teen asked, smirking as the blond frowned. "Maybe this time you'd have a costume to go with the dog label... A kigurumi would work I think..." Kigu-

 

The blond growled, clenching his fists. "Otogi!"

 

Mokuba groaned, rolling his eyes and pulling the blond back. "Calm down Katsuya-nii, really! And you," he added, crossing his arms up and facing the teen.

 

Otogi blinked, staring. "...Me?" he asked, eyebrows raised. "What is it?"

 

"Unless you want me to convince my brother to cut the funding for the equipment in your store," he said with a fairly confident frown despite his target being a full foot taller than him, "I suggest you cut it out!"

 

There was a short span of silence, the two teens gaping for a moment before looking at each other. Now hang on, store? What store? Before Katsuya could ask about this however, Otogi quickly paled, choking somewhat as he looked at the blond. "You... You know the Kaiba family," Otogi asked incredulously, before looking back at the boy with wide eyes. "I... I thought you were one of the first year students!"

 

Mokuba snorted, shaking his head. "Yeah," he said with a smirk. "First year _middle_ school..." Yeah well that wasn't the point here.

 

"So I know Mokuba an' his s- His brother," Katsuya said, shrugging as he looked at the teen. "What's it t' you?"

 

"You mean besides the fact that he's now realizing how dangerously close he came to losing his and his father's store with nothing but his card tricks?" Mokuba said with a grin, Otogi looking down on the boy darkly. "Probably a lot..."

 

The teen continued to frown, before coughing awkwardly and attempting to recompose himself. "Trust me... It won't happen again," he finally said, gritting his teeth. Hehehe, as low a blow as this was, he had to say he liked this...

 

"Good," Mokuba said with a smirk, crossing his arms. He'd probably been bluffing but whatever... "Now then..." Wait...

 

"Wait a sec," Katsuya said, shaking himself for a moment. "Which store are y' even talkin' abou'?" The two turned, blinking a few times. "You didn't know?" Ogoti asked, frowning. "My father runs the Black Clown," he stated somewhat plainly, "It'll be opening this Saturday..." W-Waaaaaiit...

 

"...Th' Black Clown," Katsuya repeated, staring. "Yer dad is th' one who built that place?" He shook his head, laughing. "Y... Y'know how stupid tha' giant sign looks righ'? ...Righ'?" 'Kay, that was a stupid thing to say...

 

The blond was answered with a pair of unimpressed stares, Otogi turning back to Mokuba rather than gracing the comment with a response. "This is a pretty big surprise," the teen muttered, crossing his arms and rubbing his forehead. "I hardly expected to meet someone from the company funding our equipment in person... All of that was dealt with by my father," he continued with a short cough, "Everything else I had to do by hand..." Hehhhh...

 

"What th' hell are y' talkin' about..."

 

Otogi ignored the blond, continuing on with his 'conversation' with Mokuba. "Do you think your brother would be able to come to the opening of the store?" he asked, raising his eyebrows with a genuinely expectant look on his face. "You as well, of course?"

 

Mokuba immediately shook his head, frowning as he bit his lip. "Sorry; nii-sama's booked solid for meetings through this week and the next... Something about a last minute call?" A what? He shrugged, shaking his head again and putting his hands in his pockets. "Of course... I could still come," he hurriedly added, grinning almost darkly as the expression became the same conniving smirk Katsuya had seen when Mokuba planned out the 'Christmas party'. "As long as my friends were there of course..."

 

The teen instantly nodded, Katsuya watching the exchange with minor confusion. How the...

 

How the hell was he doing this...

 

"Of course," Otogi said, still nodding as he spoke. "I can't do anything about the line up we'll likely have that day," he added, coughing somewhat awkwardly, "So you'll probably want to be there around seven to avoid a rush... But," the teen continued with a seemingly honest smile, "I could probably show you and your friends around, give you a look at the areas that are opening later this year. A sneak peek if you could call it that..." Oooooh...

 

Yugi would like that a lot...

 

"Great," Mokuba said, still grinning as he turned to the blond beside him. "We'll see you then! Now... Let's go home Katsuya-nii, we need to have supper alright?"

 

"W-Wait," he said with somewhat wide eyes, shaking himself as he registered all that was going on. "What?"

 

"Alright then," Otogi said with a smile, walking past as he gave the two a short wave, "I'll see you both on Saturday then!" So they were...

 

What? "What th' hell?"

 

Mokuba snickered, shaking his head and starting off himself. "Just go with it Katsuya-nii, we just got VIP passes into this place... And nii-sama's been keeping me in the dark about this for weeks!"

 

* * *

 

That bizarre conversation was probably what led to the blond 'mysteriously' getting Saturday off that week, with no questions asked. Personally he didn't think he'd be buying too much from the store when the main focus was supposedly 'dice'. After Monday, he'd pretty much decided that anything concerning dice sucked.

 

A lot. Besides...

 

He had other things to worry about. Like the fact that the 'Other Yugi', during any time he decided to hover beside his lighter half, was looking more and more solid as the days went by. And personally... It was damn scary. When he'd stopped _hearing_ the Other Yugi, he figured it was a fluke. Thanks to this?

 

There was a part of him that even wondered if one day he'd bump into the guy, while everyone else saw thin air. Maybe it was just him but...

 

He supposed that since the place was a game store, he might as well see if there were some new cards there. Take his mind off all the 'weird' going on. And upsides, it wasn't anything creepy this time like zombies or whatever.

 

Which left them there.

 

Running down the road as though Death itself was on their heels.

 

"AAAAAAHHH, Katsuya-nii!" Mokuba shouted, somehow managing to keep up with the taller easily enough. "How could you sleep in like that!"

 

The two barrelled down the street, shoes skidding across the ground as they ran and pushed past those walking past. "What, an' you think you're any better!" he shouted back, looking at the kid as they turned the corner and dodged around the end of the horrendously expansive 'opening day line up'. "I was almost set t' have Kyouko dump a bucket 'f water on y', you were takin' so long!"

 

"WUAAH!" The boy shook his head, looking up at Katsuya with wide eyes. "Not that again!"

 

"Oh, there they are!" The two slowed to a slight stop, waving as they shouted out to their friends in the long 'Black Clown' lineup. "Ah... YUGI!" Katsuya called out, laughing somewhat as they hopped to the near front where the others stood. "Yugi, hey!"

 

"Oiiii, Yugi!"

 

They gasped for breath, watching as Bakura and Yugi shook their heads somewhat before laughing slightly. "Hah... Sorry we're late," Katsuya rasped out, rubbing the back of his head. "Sleep issues... An' transport issues... An'... Stuff..." He blinked, shaking his head. "W-Why're y' pointin' t' th' end Anzu..."

 

"Back of the line," Anzu said with a 'frown', a hand on her hip as she looked over the two. "You're late, it wouldn't be fair! Come on..."

 

"D-Don't be so serious," Mokuba whined, still taking deep breaths as he leaned against the wall. "We ran all the way here," he continued with a somewhat pathetic laugh, "It's hard to get around without letting Nii-sama know..."

 

Yugi smiled, still shaking his head as he looked the two over. "Well, at least you all made it," he said, hands stuffed in his pockets. "The store opens in only half an hour," he continued, "We were getting worried!"

 

"I have to ask Mokuba... Just why do you need to avoid your brother's attention?" Bakura asked, frowning somewhat as he looked at the boy. "I understand he would be worried about you but..." He sighed, scratching his neck. "Well, truth be told, I'm not really sure what all the fuss is about..."

 

Anzu laughed, shaking her head as she turned to the albino. "Personally Bakura... It's probably best that we don't know and just take their word for it..." The others raised their eyebrows at this, Mokuba and Katsuya merely shrugging at the comment.

 

"Eh... She's got a point," the blond said, shaking his head before grinning. "Some things 'r jus better left unsaid..."

 

"It's not that bad," Mokuba muttered, before looking across the street at Yugi's house and blinking a few times. "Oh... Wow... Um." He coughed, shaking his head as he looked around the boy. "Compared to the crowd over here, you house is..."

 

"Not... Lookin' good," Katsuya finished, giving an awkward cough as Yugi briefly looked back as he scratched his head.

 

"Y-Yeah... Even though I didn't think I should say it," the boy said nervously, staring at the completely empty side of the road, "It's completely dead over there..." He laughed somewhat, turning to the others with a small grin. "In any case," he said with another nervous laugh, "Please don't say anything to my Grandpa about this; he's pretty much sworn off this store as his one great enemy! At the same time though, I couldn't resist checking out the new game they're selling, enemies aside, hahaha..."

 

Haha, y-

 

“...Er... Y-Yugi...” The others swallowed, a teary-eyed Sugoroku currently standing behind the boy as his grandson continued to talk. Ehhh...

 

"To tell the truth," the boy was continuing with a cough, shaking his head with a sigh, "Grandpa can be really old fashioned... Besides duel monsters, a lot of the stock is... Well... Really out-dated..."

 

"Y-Yugi..." Damn it even the other Yugi was looking back and growing pale...

 

"I think you should stop talking," Anzu said with a cough, her eyes wide. "...Now..."

 

"Yugi," Mokuba added, biting his lip. "Um..."

 

The boy blinked, the smile abruptly vanishing as his other appeared to say something before vanishing from sight. "Ah... What is it?" he asked slowly turning only to see his Grandpa caught in an expression of mixed anger and sadness.

 

Yeah. That. "A-AAAAH-"

 

"Yuu _uuugiiii,_ " the man said shakily, face red as he walked forward. "You... You..."

 

"G-G-Grandpa..."

 

"YOU LITTLE BACKSTABBER!"

 

* * *

 

Crowds and crowds of people were developing outside the store, as they had since as early as the night before. The line stretched far down the street and even the next road from outside the main door of the building. It was easy to see even from the apartment window at the top of the store, that Yugi had managed to get an early spot however. He was almost directly outside the door, standing with two of his friends. Honda had said earlier that week that he couldn't come. As for Mokuba...

 

"...Not there?" he began, before pausing as a pair of people hurriedly ran down the road. "Ah..." There he was... Along with Jonouchi. This would probably make things easier wouldn't it? The 'VIP' tour, he meant. They could beat the crowd in the store, pull Yugi to the side as they were leaving so that no one would suspect anything strange until everything was over and done with...

 

He just needed to make sure his father was... Alright with it. Ryuji swallowed as he left the room, walking over to the next one and standing outside the door. It seemed to be a constant battle, just standing outside this door. What kind of mood was he in, was he prepared... He took a deep breath, placing a hand on the handle and slowly opening it inward only to hurriedly turn his head away.

 

Not ready. Sunken eyes and mummified skin, a bald hairless face with a permanent scowl...

 

His father wasn't ready. "Ah... S-Sorry, Tou-san," he began, continuing to avert his gaze and stare at the ground. "I... I didn't know you were busy."

 

A rasping, aged voice came through the room, the 'old man' inside putting a clowns mask firmly in place on his head to cover the twisted features and shaking his head.

 

"That's alright Ryuji, it's alright... Come in," he continued, pulling thick white gloves over bone thin and wrinkled hands as he turned around. Nothing remaining of the face save half blind and bloodshot eyes that were looking through the holes in the mask. "Come in..."

 

"Right..." The teen nodded, coming inside the room and shutting the door behind him with a slight swallow. Normally, coming in when the mask wasn't on was... Disastrous. But...

 

He supposed that because of what day it was, he was... Alright.

 

He walked forward, bowing his head as his father hunched over and grabbed his cane from the side. Straight to business then. "Everything is ready," he said quietly, slowly looking at his father. "We're just waiting for the moment of opening now..." His father nodded, gripping his cane tightly and looking through the grinning clown's mask as he turned back to the window to stare at the line.

 

To stare at Yugi.

 

"Hehehehehe... The beginning of my revenge has finally come..." Yes... Yes it... Had.

 

...Was that what the room in the basement was for then? The one hidden behind the dice monster table? Where the aged stone disc with carved clawed hands and a dragon's maw at the start of a spiraling track sat? He shook it off, closing his eyes and turning away for a moment. Whatever. All he had to do was beat him at that game, the dice game, and then it would be over. Who knew...

 

Maybe he could get to know that guy. Put this week behind them, it was just a game after all. He seemed nice at least...

 

...He...

 

"...Tou-san?" Ryuji said quietly, taking a deep breath as he turned back. "...There's something I need to say... Earlier this week, on monday," he began, eyes drifting to the ground as his father turned from the window. "I found out Mutou Yugi was in my class..." His father had no apparent reaction, expression unseen under the mask. But he already knew that he wasn't smiling. "...I wanted to test his strength," he continued, swallowing. "So... I set up a simple card game to play against him... That guy," he said with a smile, looking down at the side as he recalled the absurdity of how easily the boy had turned a bar-bet into an even match. "Heh... ...He's not as 'weak' as he seems..." Not nearly so...

 

"You..." Ryuji tensed, paling as his father's rough tones came through the room. "You didn't... _Lose_ to him... Did you?"

 

The teen swallowed, looking down at his father as the man walked closer. "I..."

 

This wasn't his fault, this wasn't his father's fault this was-

 

"Nn-!"

 

"YOU LOST!" The old man's eyes widened, the sharp sting of the wood slicing into his cheek and tossing him back as his father swung the cane forward.

 

"Gh!" Even as an old man, his father had a good swing. A single bit of weakness, and who knew if he'd be alive right?

 

...Right? "How could you lose to him Ryuji!" he roared, the boy pulling himself up and rubbing his stinging cheek. "How could you _lose_ to Sugoroku's grandson? This is unforgivable!" he shouted, the sound blocked out by the thick walls surrounding them as his son wiped a small trail of blood from his face. " _UNFORGIVABLE_!"

 

"I'm sorry... Tou-san, I..." He swallowed, choking on his breath as he pulled himself to his knees. "I..."

 

"LOOK AT MY FACE," the old man wailed, ripping his mask off and pulling the teen close by the shoulders and neck. Ryuji turned his head away, biting his lip as the man continued to scream. "LOOK," his father shouted, the rasping tones given a lisp from the lack of teeth and the worn and weak tongue, "LOOK AT ME!" He couldn't...

 

He couldn't look, he couldn't... "G..."

 

He turned, swallowing back a panicked sound as he looked over the wrinkled and jaundiced flesh. At an almost skull-like, mummified face that was now staring him down with a mix of anger and pain and a whole slew of emotions that all came from one thing.

 

One night. One night that was all it took...

 

And suddenly Mom was gone, wanting nothing to do with either of them.

 

Suddenly they were moving across the country with only one confusing goal in mind, suddenly there was that 'one thing' in the basement that he wasn't allowed to touch. Just one night...

 

And everything changed.

 

"Who did this?" his father rasped, yellowed and pale skin stretching unnaturally over his skull as he shouted. "Who did this!" he repeated, Ryuji staring in panicked and fear filled silence. "Mutou, Sugoroku, that's who! _THAT'S WHO DID THIS_!"

 

"I know!" he finally shouted, pulling back as his father let go. "I... I know Tou-san," he forced out, rubbing his neck and gasping for air. "You told me... Hundreds, thousands of times tou-san," Ryuji said quietly, "You told me... Please," he continued, bowing his head as his voice lowered to a whisper. "Please just put the mask back on, please..." Don't make him look any longer...

 

Don't make him...

 

There was a span of silence, the man doing as asked before slowly walking over to his son as the teen pulled himself up. "I'm sorry Ryuji," he moaned, grabbing his cane from the ground to steady himself as his son grabbed the door handle. "I'm so sorry... Did I hurt you?" he asked, reaching up as the teen shook his head. "Did I...”

 

"No," he said somewhat quickly, forcing a small smile on his face as he looked at the old stooped man. "No," he repeated, swallowing back another choke. "Not at all..."

 

"Oooohh... Ryuji... You're the only one I have," he said almost morosely, looking up at his son through the mask once more. "The only one I can depend on..." Of course.

 

That was right, he was all he had left wasn't he? "I know," Ryuji said, turning back to the door. "I understand... Both your pain, and your hatred," he continued, steeling himself as he opened the door. How could he possibly think of going back on those thoughts. On the very reason he existed now... "Please," he said calmly, looking back at the old man. "Watch. I'll get revenge for you... I'll defeat both Yugi, and his grandfather," he said darkly, voice unwavering as he said these words. "I promise," he continued, turning back to leave the room. There was no other way after all. This was...

 

The only way...

 

And he kept his word.

 


	13. Black Saturday

 

Outside the Black Clown store the crowd was as thick as expected. The swarm spread clear to the other side of the street, adults and children alike waiting in line for the 'store exclusive' that had been constantly hyped up through advertisement and rumors. Somehow despite the clearly heart-broken rage Sugoroku had about his grandson 'backstabbing' him and waiting in line however, he managed to be convinced to come along himself.

 

Possibly because of the fact that Mokuba mentioned them getting a private tour... Or maybe just because, like his grandson, the man simply couldn't resist the chance to get his hands on a brand new game.

 

Either way the majority of them were now looking at Bakura's watch, counting down the minutes until the store opened. "Two minutes," Anzu said at one point, the albino beside them holding his watch out in polite silence. "One minute," she said shortly after, soon turning it into a count down. "Thirty... Twenty-nine... Twenty-eight..."

 

"ELEVEN O'CLOCK," someone shouted from behind, the others turning as the doors were pulled open. Instantly the line began to move, the group caught up in a vicious sea of people as they were pushed around outside and into the store by the massive crowd that were now so focused on moving forward. "The Black Clown is open!" the crowd was shouting, Katsuya merely giving somewhat strangled noises as he was pushed off to the side with Mokuba.

 

Yeah, no shit it was open, now when was it going to close? "Don't push me!" another voice called out, the blond in the meantime pushing back against the crowd that was doing just the same to him. The sounds were followed and preceded by shouts of "Give me the dice!", from the far front of the store by the register, a few of them gaining the addition of "I want thirty!"

 

And of course, this was followed by- "Limit six per customer!"

 

...And also a groan, they couldn't forget that.

 

"Sheesh," Katsuya muttered, scratching his head with his free arm while Mokuba held on to the other to keep from 'sailing away'. The two were currently pressed against the wall near the front of the store, shaking their heads. "All these people 're here f'r jus' dice?"

 

Mokuba shrugged, shaking his head as he attempted to see through the crowd while standing on his toes. "Apparently," he said, grunting somewhat as they were pushed even closer to the front by the continuing wave. "Hey Katsuya-nii," he said with a slight shout, turning to his friend, "Put me on your shoulders!"

 

The blond blinked, looking down and frowning. "Nyhhh... What?" His shoulders?

 

The boy nodded, frowning. "I can't see anything," he said with a shrug, "And I bet that you're having just as much luck..." Well yeah, but that was beside the point... "Come on," he continued, hands in his pockets as he smirked slightly. "Maybe we can spot Otogi and get out of all this!" Oh hey, getting out of this would be good...

 

"Alrigh, alrigh'..." He pulled the boy up, stumbling somewhat as Mokuba steadied himself on his shoulders. "Ack... Jus' don' move too much," he added, eyes widening briefly as he was again jostled by the crowd.

 

"Yeah yeah," Mokuba said dismissively, leaning over Katsuya's head somewhat, "Don't worry alright?" Yeah...

 

'Don't worry'... What was the worst that could happen right? The boy smirked, looking around the store now that he was sitting a good two feet above them. "Hnnn... Oh wow," Mokuba muttered, coughing somewhat. "Yugi got pushed really far back," he said with a small laugh, shaking his head as he continued to look around. "Ahhhh... I can see the others though. HEY!" he shouted, Katsuya stumbling as the boy began waving. "ANZU! BAKURA!"

 

"O-O-Oii! You trying to fall off?"

 

"Awww, you wouldn't let that happen..."

 

"That ain't th' point!”

 

The two in the crowd turned, Anzu abruptly bursting into what seemed to be laughter before pulling Bakura along with her to the pair as they weaved through the crowd. "Well," she said, shoving her way past a few others with a laugh as she came within 'range'. "That's one way to get a look around here I suppose!"

 

Mokuba merely grinned, while Bakura nervously looked over the crowd on his toes. "Yugi's gotten pretty stuck in there," he said quietly, scratching his head and turning to the others. "I hope he gets to the front alright..."

 

"Ohhh, he'll be fine," a fifth voice stated, the others turning as Sugoroku came over with six packets of dice. "What I want to know is what these packets have inside," the old man shouted with a laugh, hurriedly digging into one of them. "Hohohohhh..."

 

The others stared rather blankly, sharing glances. "Er... Jii-san," Anzu asked, shaking her head a moment before laughing. "Didn't you just finish swearing off this place as your 'sworn enemy'?" she continued, the old man ignoring her as he looked over the dice.

 

"Well," a somewhat familiar voice said from the side, the owner shaking his head. "I should hope that's not really the case..."

 

Mokuba blinked, turning from his position on Jonouchi's shoulders to stare. "Ah... Otogi..."

 

Sugoroku also jumped, blinking a few times before frowning to himself. "O-Otogi?" he repeated, the others turning as the man went pale. The seemingly fearful expression quickly vanished however, the old man crossing his arms. "Hnn..." He stared at the ground in thought, narrowing his eyes somewhat. "Now where have I heard that name before..."

 

Hahahaha... Yeaaaaah...

 

Otogi merely shook his head, turning to them all as he paid the old man no mind. "I've had someone help Yugi to one of the back rooms," he said with a smile, crossing his arms. "He seemed a little 'swept away'. Come on," he continued with a nod, "I'll show you the room, tell you a little bit about what I'm working on... Better than walking through all of this, right?" he added, looking back at the crowd.

 

They turned, staring at the sea of people and slowly nodding. "Yeaaah," he said slowly, blinking a few times. "Yeah tha's probably a pretty good idea," Katsuya muttered, stooping down somewhat for Mokuba to get off. "Ahhhh my neck..."

 

"Hnnn..." The others turned to where Sugoroku was still frowning, eyes closed in thought for a moment more before he shrugged. "I think I'll go home in case I get some customers myself," the man muttered, hurriedly stowing his purchased goods in a pocket and looking back at the sea of people with wide eyes. "I could have missed someone already, oh no..."

 

Something told him that wasn't the case, but the old man disappeared so quickly into the crowd there wasn't much of a chance to say otherwise. The guy was probably going to find out the hard way...

 

Well, no sense dwelling he decided. Back to the 'tour'! The others turned back to Otogi, Katsuya rubbing the back of his neck for a moment while Mokuba shook himself off. "Lead the way Otogi-kun," Bakura said politely, bowing his head.

 

The teen nodded, moving through the edge of the crowd against the still moving 'sea' to show them to a door in the back behind the counter. "Just over here," he said somewhat confidently, pulling the door open and letting everyone through. "It's dark in there though," he added, the others bumping into each other somewhat as they attempted to clear their vision, "So watch your step!" Dark?

 

Yeah that was an understatement. The door shut behind them, Katsuya looking around with somewhat narrowed eyes as he attempted to figure out where they were. "Well where'r th' lights th-" There was a loud click, the blond hissing as blinding lights struck him in the face. "AAAAAGH. Ag _ggghhh_ ," he shouted, turning around and still shielding his eyes. "Give us a warnin' next time!"

 

Otogi merely smirked from where he'd stood by the light switch, shaking his head. "What, you thought I'd leave them off?" No, he figured they'd have the lights on already! "Right," he continued, shaking his head and moving to the front of the group, "Well, follow me; this is just the hall, and besides storage there's really only one room that I wanted to show you all..."

 

"Only one room?" Anzu repeated with raised eyebrows, looking around the hall as they went. "If that's the case," she continued, "Then why was there all this talk of a tour?"

 

"Hn? Oh... Well," he explained with a shrug, "Originally I was asking for Mokuba and his brother to come by... If that was the case," Otogi continued somewhat dismissively, "I would have shown them the security and computer rooms, but the fact is they really aren't that interesting..."

 

Mokuba appeared to pout at that, Bakura giving him a slightly sympathetic look as their 'guide' moved down toward a somewhat 'hidden' door. Unfortunately for him, most twelve year olds weren't really into the tech side of things, and Otogi's opinion . Katsuya kept his eyes ahead, watching as Otogi pulled the door in.

 

"Here we go... Hey!" he shouted, stepping in. "Yugi, are you alright in there?"

 

The boy blinked, turning from where he was sitting on a chair of sorts and holding his puzzle. "Ah, Otogi-kun!" He came over from the chair, smiling as the others followed the teen inside. "Hah... And everyone else..."

 

"Heh... You were pretty far back," Katsuya said with a slight laugh, shaking his head as he looked around the room. Ok. What the hell was with this building and clowns seriously... "'S lucky we were all fished out eh?" Even if the scenery was a little less than...

 

Er...

 

Yugi nodded, laughing somewhat as he looked back at Otogi and the others. "Hah, yeah... Anyways..." He looked back at the large, smooth black table in the middle of the room. "Otogi-kun?" he asked, blinking a few times. "What exactly _is_ this room?" Yeah that was a good question.

 

The others looked around curiously, expressions largely varied among the group; Bakura for his part seemed largely indifferent... Mokuba was _trying_ trying to look indifferent about the 'interesting' décor... And while in his opinion all the clown masks were just one more weird point to the room, Anzu seemed downright uncomfortable about it if the fact that she was deliberately keeping away from the walls were any sign.

 

While they were looking around the room, Otogi was busy pulling out a bag of dice from his pocket and walking over to the table. "This," he began, turning to the others as he pilled a few coloured dice out, "Is a table for the game involving these dice. It's called 'Dragons-Dungeons-Dice'," he continued, smirking as the others watched in silence. "D-D-D for short. Now currently," the teen said with a slight shrug, "I can't actually demonstrate the game as we're still working out the power controls for this table... You see," Otogi continued from the side, "We requested that it be powered separately from the company that made it... If you can guess what that means," he added with a wink, turning back from the table as the others frowned somewhat.

 

"Ahhh..." Mokuba nodded, turning to the others as they looked back at the boy. "Most of Kaiba-Corp's major devices, such as the duel-tables," he explained plainly, "Are all connected to a central computer in the main building. Not necessarily the best defense if anyone hacks it," he continued with a shrug, "But it's a lot simpler when it comes to running the devices and programming the updates, and it's not like it's that easy to hack. Actually," he added with a frown, turning back to Otogi, "It's pretty much mandatory for all the devices to be connected because of that... So how..."

 

Otogi shrugged, smiling. "Like I said," he said with a laugh, "I do the rest by hand!"

 

The others blinked, expressions somewhat blank with that comment. "By hand?"

 

"Otogi-kun," Bakura said with a somewhat surprised expression, looking at the dice he'd managed to purchase himself, "Do you mean to say that you designed this game yourself..?"

 

The teen nodded, taking a seat on one of the two chairs attached to the table with a smirk. "Yep! My dad might own the store," he said with a shrug, brushing a bit of hair from his face, "But the game was my idea. I spent a few years on it actually," he said with a laugh, shaking his head. "A long time... But it was well worth it." Wow... He came up with this on his own?

 

"Huh... That's pretty cool," Katsuya said after a moment, before grinning. "So... How th' hell do y' play a game with nothin' but dice then?" he asked, hands in his pockets as he looked at the large table.

 

Otogi continued to smirk, pulling out a few of the dice from his bag. "Well, the fact is, it's mostly a free-for-all... Everything depends on what you roll," he continued as he spun them around his fingers, "So it's a little hard for me to explain right now..." Oh... Really? That didn't sound like a really well working game... "Summon crests summon monsters, magic crests allow for magic attacks, battle for physical... The more crests you get," the teen added, holding his dice up between his fingers, "The more powerful the effect; two out of three for a successful roll, three out of three for a bonus." Oh, well that made more sense...

 

He guessed. Why were they all different colours though...

 

"Hn... So then how does one or the other win then?" Anzu asked, frowning somewhat. "I mean... I get how you start it but..." ...Yeah that was a good question what-

 

"Ryuji?" an aged voice called, Otogi instantly going white with the sound. "Ryuji?" the voice continued calling, "Are you in there?" The others turned, looking toward the door with somewhat wide and confused eyes before looking back at their 'host'.

 

"Er... Who's that," Katsuya asked, blinking as the rasping voice continued to call out.

 

"That's... That's my... My father," he said with a cough, the others raising their eyebrows. That was his _DAD_? "He's... He's got a throat cold," the teen added, shrugging as the others blinked. Wow. That was... That was one nasty cold then... "Aaaaaah..."

 

"...He... Doesn't know we're here... Does he?" Mokuba said somewhat nervously, laughing.

 

"Nooooo," Otogi said, rubbing his head. "No he doesn't..." Greaaaaat...

 

"...That's the real reason why we could only come to this room... Isn't it..."

 

There was a short nod from their guide, the others trading awkward looks as the shouts drew closer. Okay. That wasn't good...

 

"Ryuji..?" Not good at all... "Come on now," Otogi's father continued with a shout, "I haven't got all day... The store closes early today, remember?" Early?

 

Why early? The others looked back from the door to Otogi as the calls came even closer, blinking as their 'guide' rubbed his head. "Ahh... This isn't good," he muttered under his breath, eyes closed.

 

"Otogi-kun," Bakura asked with a slight frown, shaking his head. "If we aren't allowed to be here, then why exactly did you invite us all..?"

 

There was a knock on the door, Katsuya turning as Otogi looked up from the table. "Er... I don' think we really have time t' discuss that..." At all...

 

"This way," Otogi quickly said, motioning toward a blank 'wall' at the other end of the room. Er what? The teen quickly slid the side open, pushing it out into another room and looking back at the others. "It leads to one of the storage rooms," he said with a slight frown, "But there's another door to the hall in there you can use..." Kay, that was. Weird. Secret doors!

 

...What the hell... "Otogi-kun," Yugi asked, "If we aren't allowed here," he continued with a frown, "Shouldn't we just tell your dad the truth and leave?"

 

He shook his head, looking over at the door with somewhat wide eyes. "Trust me, it's better this way," he muttered quickly, pushing Yugi somewhat toward the door without taking his eyes off the 'real one'. "Just take the hall back through the main entrance," he said just as quickly, "I'll explain later alright?"

 

Er... Alright...

 

They hurried through the door, listening as it closed behind them before finding themselves in a dark room. "...Huh. That was weird," the blond muttered, shaking his head as they stood in the storage room. Nothing but piles of dice-packets and weird looking disc container things...

 

And stuff...

 

"Did... Any of you feel like we were being rushed out?" Anzu asked somewhat nervously, the group slowly making their way toward a door as they spoke. "Because... I definitely felt it..."

 

Mokuba nodded, scratching his head. "Yeah," he muttered, frowning. "I don't know what Otogi was planning, but that wasn't really a tour either... I get that he wasn't supposed to have us over but he could have said something..."

 

"Well... I don't know about that not being a 'tour'," Bakura said calmly, smiling somewhat as they came to the door to the hall. "The fact is," he continued optimistically, "We were given an exclusive look at the device for this dice game... And you did say that Otogi-kun planned on showing us something that wouldn't be released for another month or so," he added, turning to Mokuba for a moment.

 

The others nodded, stepping out into the hall and moving down to find the next door. "Yeah... I guess," Mokuba said with a shrug, hands in his pockets before he laughed. "I guess I got a little hyped about it, ahaha..."

 

Yeah, just a little given everything else early in the week... "Well, not like there's much we can do about it now," Katsuya said with a shrug, pushing the door open to walk into the relatively empty store and freeze. "Wow," he said blankly, looking around the suddenly cleared room. "This place really cleaned out huh..."

 

Bakura nodded, turning somewhat as they looked at a sign on the side. "They completely sold out," he muttered, looking back to the others. "I guess there's not much else they can do..."

 

Yeah, he guessed... They made their way toward the store exit, shaking it off for the moment before a voice stopped them. "Excuse me?" The group turned, blinking as one of the store guards from earlier came over. These guys... They'd been scattered among the crowd trying to put it in order earlier. Didn't do much, but at least they tried right? The guard coughed, looking over at Yugi. "Sorry to disturb you with this," he said somewhat awkwardly, "But the store manager would like to have a word with you."

 

Yugi blinked, pointing at himself for a moment. "Er... Me?" he asked, frowning. "Why?"

 

The guard shook his head, also frowning as he spoke. "We believe we have something of yours," he said somewhat plainly, "This shouldn't take long really..."

 

"Oh... Alright then..." The others frowned Yugi shrugging and turning to them. "I'll be back in a bit," he said with a small smile, shaking his head. "I'll meet you at the Kame Game alright?"

 

They nodded, the guard leading Yugi off to the back rooms before another came over. "I'm going to have to ask the rest of you to leave," he said calmly, gesturing to the door. "We are closed after all..." Closed? It was only two!

 

"Wow," Katsuya muttered, blinking as he looked from the guard to the others. "Wasn' jokin' when he said 'early'..." The guard continued to stand there, before the four nodded and left the building.

 

"Well..." They stood outside for a moment, simply looking out at the relatively empty street and trading glances. "...That was weird," Mokuba eventually said, scratching his head and turning to the older three. "What do you think Yugi left in there?"

 

"Perhaps he dropped one of his dice packets?" Bakura suggested, the four walking across the street and toward the Kame Game. "I don't think he had anything else with him... Though I'm not too sure he bought any dice either," he muttered with a frown, crossing his arms. "Hnn..."

 

"There's also his wallet," Anzu added somewhat offhandedly, crossing her arms as well while they made their way to the crosswalk. "That's not something he would want to lose," she continued, frowning. "He has his bus pass in there, he needs it for school." Huhhhh...

 

Questions questions... "Well," Katsuya finally said, shrugging as they waited for the light to change, "Not like anythin' bad'll happen from it righ'? He'll be out as soon as it's all cleared up..."

 

The others nodded, briefly turning to look back at the building with those words before crossing the street. "I just hope he doesn't take too long about it," Anzu said with a slight frown, biting her lip and somewhat leading the others toward the Kame Game. "I have work later today..."

 

"Oh, that's right," Mokuba said with a slight jump, "Katsuya-nii, you still have night-shift too, so we can't stay too long... We should probably leave around three thirty I think."

 

"I would think you would have to head home soon anyways," Bakura said with a slight nod, looking down at Mokuba with the words. "After all," he added slightly warningly, "If you're going to keep your older brother in the dark about all of this..."

 

Oh, that was a good point... "Eh," Mokuba said with a shrug, Katsuya turning to open the Kame Game door for the moment. "We've still got time... Right Katsuya-nii?" he asked, the blond turning back to look at the boy and the 'Black Clown' building behind him.

 

"Righ'," he said with a grin, nodding, "We've got a good-"

 

..Hour...

 

Katsuya froze, frowning somewhat as he looked at the building behind the others with narrowed eyes. For a moment... For a brief moment the sky had...

 

The blond blinked a few times, shaking his head and continuing to stare.

 

Nothing. It was normal again but...

 

For a quick 'flash'... There'd been a black sky, but the entire building had been completely lit up, more so than even a campfire blaze...

 

And then it was gone. "...Katsuya-nii?" Mokuba asked, frowning somewhat as he looked up at the blond. "...O-Oii," he continued, waving his hand in his face, "Katsuya-nii, are you alright?"

 

The blond shook himself, turning to the others and throwing a grin back in place despite the raised eyebrows. "Eh? Y-Yeah! Yeah! 'F course! ...Hey," he said with a cough, smirking, "Why don' we go see if Jii-chan figured out how t' play that game yet... Compare what we know," he said quickly, the others nodding as they headed into the Kame Game. That sounded like a good idea. Yeah...

 

That last thing had probably just been a trick of the light...

 

* * *

 

"So," Yugi said somewhat nervously, blinking a few times as he was led through the halls by the two guards. "...You said I left something here?"

 

The guards guiding him through the hall nodded, bringing him to a 'room' that was built into the hall before sitting him down on one of the chairs. "That's right," the first one said, pulling something from a box on the side. "We found a wallet, with a bus pass belonging to a 'Mutou Yugi'... According to the manager's son," the guard continued, looking down at the boy as he frowned, "That would be you." His wallet? But that was impossible...

 

"That... That can't be right," Yugi said with a slight laugh, reaching for his vest pocket. Sure the crowd had been rough, but it couldn't have been rough enough to knock it out of his vest..! "My wallet's right here," he continued, "It's-" ...Right...

 

There...

 

He froze, a few packets of dice falling from the pocket as he pulled out his wallet. How did those... "Those are dice packets," the guard at the side said, frowning as he looked from the floor to the boy. "But I was on duty the entire time by the front desk," he continued with wide eyes, "This boy never reached it!" What...

 

A wave of panic washed over him, a voice stirring in the back of his mind. " _...Aibou, what's going on?_ " his other self asked curiously in the back of his mind, Yugi swallowing. " _...Is everything alright..?_ " Hah... That...

 

That was a good question. And right now...

 

He wasn't too sure of the answer... "Sir," one of the other guards stated clearly, moving from where he stood from the side, "We're going to have to search you for any other stolen goods..."

 

"W-What..." This... This wasn't happening, this wasn't... "But I didn't steal anything," Yugi protested, eyes wide as he looked at the guards surrounding him. "What kind of joke is this? I didn't-"

 

One of the guards immediately grabbed the boy by the shoulders as he attempted to stand, forcing him down into the chair. Gh-! "Come on now," he said with a frown, shaking his head. "Just cooperate and we'll sort all this out..."

 

He pulled off the vest, still holding Yugi's arms tightly in place as he struggled. "Ghnn..! But I'm telling the truth!" he shouted, looking at the guards as he continued to panic. "This is all one big mistake," the boy continued, "I wouldn't do that kind of thing!"

 

" _Aib-_ " Yugi froze as his other self was momentarily cut off, the chain around his neck pulled up and over by one of the guards. N-N...

 

"Take this as well," the man said, ignoring the wide eyed look of horror he was now receiving from the boy before them. "It sounds hollow, he could have stored something in there..." N-No...

 

No no no no _no_... "G-Give that back!" Yugi shouted, eyes wide as he began to struggle more fiercely. "That's a really important item to me," he called out loudly, the guard grunting against the force it was now taking to keep him in the chair. "Give it back!"

 

"Look," the guard said with a frown, putting the puzzle on the table at the side, "We'll return your things to you after we sort this out, just calm down now..." Like hell!

 

"G-GIVE IT BACK!" A third guard tapped the first on the shoulder, holding up a collection of dice packets.

 

Impossible...

 

Yugi again froze up, staring at the packets in the man's hand with wide eyes. Impossible... "Found more in his vest pocket," he said with a frown, shaking his head. "There's at least eight all together..." No...

 

No that wasn't possible, that wasn't... "N- What..." He didn't take those, he didn't... "What!"

 

"Oh my my my..." Yugi tensed even further, a hoarse and rasping voice coming from around the corner as the guards turned to the source. The seemingly mute clown from earlier in the week walked forward, hands gripping a tall cane rather firmly as he hobbled over. "Such a headache you're giving me," he rasped, giving a long and almost ancient sigh as the boy swallowed. The heavily disguised clown came closer, picking up the puzzle from the table and tossing it a few times before shaking his head as he held it in his grip. "With such an innocent face," he continued, expression completely hidden by the mask, "It's hard to believe that your true nature is so ugly..." The clown from earlier...

 

His voice...

 

"You... You sound like... Otogi-kun's..." He steeled himself, shaking his head with narrowed eyes. Right to the point. He had to get right to the point! "I didn't steal anything," he said clearly, swallowing as he sat in the chair. "You can ask Otogi-kun," he continued loudly, "He can vouch for me! Just please," the boy shouted, eyes trained mostly on the puzzle rather than the clown, "Give back my Millennium Puzzle... Now!"

 

The clown merely shook his head, clicking sounds coming from behind the large painted grin. "Tsk tsk-tsk... Such a naughty little brat," the man hissed, Yugi tensing as the elder's eyes visibly narrowed. "Lying through your teeth like this... There's only one thing to do!" he barked, the guards grabbing Yugi roughly and jerking the boy from his chair with a start. "Take him away!" the clown shouted, still gripping the puzzle tightly in his hands. "The testing room is a good place to hold him for now," he continued, Yugi's feet dragging across the ground as he struggled. "I'll contact the authorities in the meantime..."

 

The guards nodded, Yugi's eyes widening as he was pulled away despite his attempts. "H-Hey!" he shouted, gritting his teeth. "Damn it, let me go!" he shouted, pulling as roughly as he could against the grip. "LET ME GO!"

 

"Quiet down!" one of the guards barked, dragging him toward the same room he'd seen from before. 'Testing room'...

 

But this was the same room Otogi had shown them, the one with the table.

 

He stared, momentarily going silent as the door across from him was opened. This was... "Gah!" He shouted as he fell to the ground, pushed roughly inside by the guards. "Ung..." The door slammed shut behind him as he pulled himself up, stumbling to his feet and looking around. "G-Gnn..." Dark... This room was... "Ah..!"

 

He stared, tensing momentarily as a light clicked on above the familiar table he'd seen before. He was right. This was the same room. But...

 

In the white, dull light, the room that had formerly been almost cheery was suddenly dark, and frightening.

 

Even Otogi looked frightening in this light, with the shadows hanging on his face far too eerily for his comfort.

 

"I've been waiting to catch you alone," he said darkly, the light highlighting a small cut that he'd missed earlier in the day. That cut... It looked like it hurt a-

 

Wait, ' _alone'_? Why would he...

 

"...Yugi..."

 

"O-Otogi-kun," Yugi said with a frown, rubbing his arms. Alright. He could deal with his questions all at once right? "...What happened to your cheek?" he muttered, stepping forward. "And what's going on here?" he continued with a slightly louder tone, "Why aren't the other lights on?"

 

The teen ignored him, folding his hands over on the table as he stared across the room. "We're going to play a game Yugi," he said plainly, tone almost monotonously dark as he gestured to the second chair. "Take a seat..." He'd rather pass on that, personally...

 

"O-Otogi-kun... I don't..." The boy swallowed, taking a deep breath and steeling himself. "I don't have time for this," he protested, swallowing. "Otogi-kun, I think... Your father... He took my puzzle, I need to get it back. Otogi-kun," he repeated, shaking his head again. "I need you to talk to him, I-"

 

"I know," he said bluntly, hitting a switch of sorts on the side of the table for a small glow to emit beneath it. Small white dots lined the board, each outlining a series of squares. He knew about the puzzle, about his father? But then why... "But right now, that's not the problem." Not the problem! "Right now," he continued, leaning back against the chair, "We're going to play a round of D-D-D..." But that was impossible...

 

"But... You said the power wasn't running yet," he protested, eyes wide. "That the machine was... Was incomplete," he said quietly, shaking his head. What was going on here... "Otogi-kun, I-"

 

"Here," Otogi said clearly, pulling a case from under the table and ignoring the boy's words. "The dice we'll use for the game..." The case was slid across the table, lid already opened and the case itself filled completely with multi-coloured dice. "I already chose mine... And earlier I explained a little bit about the crests remember?" he added, pulling a smaller case from the side and pulling out his dice. Yeah...

 

The crests, but there were others besides the three he mentioned and...

 

And he didn't have time for this! "Each player starts out with twelve dice... There's over five hundred to choose from, ranging in level and ability," the teen stated, folding his hands over once again. "You can choose whatever ones you need. So go ahead," he continued calmly, eyes narrowed as he stared at the boy. "Choose your dice..." What...

 

Yugi looked over the dice in the case, swallowing. He... But they had his puzzle, his other-self out there, he... He couldn't.

 

...He wasn't getting it back until he did this he thought to himself, still staring at the dice. Not until the end. Was he...

 

The boy again swallowed, nervously picking up one of the dice and looking it over. The colours were completely different, as were the patterns on the faces. How was he supposed to choose, all he knew were that different 'crests' had different effects! And he only knew about three of them at that!

 

"There are six different colour categories," Otogi called out, Yugi looking up from the case as the teen continued. Alright... "White, or Magic, Grass, the Warrior, Yellow, the Undead, Green for the Beast and Red for the Dragon," he explained, tone still just as plain and cold as it had been the moment the light came on. "And each of them hold different forms of monsters... But the black dice," he added with a slight nod, eyes narrowing even further, "Have a 'special', 'hidden' ability..." A hidden ability?

 

Yugi looked back at the dice, pulling out a small handful and looking them over. In that case... "Alright then," he said somewhat confidently, looking forward as he grabbed a few others and closed the case in front of him. "In that case, I pick the colours Grass, White, and Black!"

 

Otogi nodded, leaning over to pull the case back and under the table before leaning back on his seat. "Good," he said with a small nod, before smirking. "Now... The stage for this game is the 'Dark Arena'... You could call it a void," he continued with a slight shrug, "The area of the board where nothing can exist..." H-Hah... That sounded comforting...

 

A loud clunking sound came through the air as Otogi clicked another switch, a pair of holes opening up in the table before them. "A-Ah..." Two holes. Now what...

 

"The game is about to start," Otogi said clearly, dropping his dice into the first hole with a blank expression. "Drop your dice in the hole before you," he continued, Yugi nodding as he did so. The dice clattered down into the hole, and the sound of a motor came through the air as the holes re-sealed. Yugi sat back in his seat as the sounds continued, jumping as a series of dice came through the side to neatly line up in a row. "The machine mixes the dice randomly. In this game," Otogi explained, "The line up and combination of the dice is a key part of determining victory and defeat both." Alright then. He understood that much at least... "Now... We both take out the first three dice," he said clearly, pulling out his own set and holding each one between his fingers. Red. All of the dice were red...

 

He pulled out his own three, swallowing. Grass-green, grass-green... And white. So two 'warriors' and a 'magic' type monster. Another click came over the air, Yugi staring as a small doll of sorts appeared from a panel in the table. "Ah..."

 

The small 'wizard' like figure stood on what looked to be a peg, surrounded by a block of 'land'. "This doll," Otogi explained, a small clown appearing on his side of the field as he spoke, "Represents the player's health. The 'dungeon master' you could say," he continued, before smirking and continuing on. "It has three hearts as you can see," he stated, the three lights pulsing somewhat on each doll in the meantime. "And whoever is attacked three times, losing those points, will also lose the game. So," he continued, his opponent looking across the board nervously. "Let's begin. Game start!" Otogi shouted loudly, spinning the dice between his fingers. Game start. Haha...

 

That was all great but he didn't even know how to play this game!

 

"I'll attack first," the teen continued, tossing his three dice on the field. "On your turn, the player throws their three dice! Clear?" Er... Right! "Now then," he continued, watching as the dice clattered to the ground to reveal a set of two stars and a pair of crossed blades, "I've rolled two summoning crests..." The stars then. "Which means I get to summon a monster..." Oh shoot... "To do that," Otogi explained, still smirking as his opponent paled, "I place one of the die on the table... And push it down. Watch! Come out," he shouted, the die unfolding to reveal a small holographic monster. "Wizard Dragon!"

 

The dragon gave a fearsome 'roar', clawing at the ground it stood on before looking forward in wait. A... A monster and a path...

 

"Hehehe... Look closely," Otogi said, his opponent staring at the 'path' that the dice had unfolded to create. "In order to reach the opponent's dungeon master, you need to create a path using your summoned monsters. And while you could use my paths for that," he said with a smirk, Yugi staring in silence as he logged the info in the back of his mind, "Well... You still have to go through my monsters first, so I wouldn't recommend it..." Of course. "Now Yugi," he continued, smirking at the unease his opponent held. "...It's your turn." That was right...

 

But first. "Otogi-kun," he said with a swallow, frowning and looking forward. "I need you to promise me... If I win this game," he continued, narrowing his eyes, "I need you to swear that you'll return my puzzle... Promise me!"

 

The teen across from him stared, before slowly nodding. "Alright," he said calmly, smiling as he spun his two spare dice in his hands. "That sounds fair." Alright then...

 

The boy nodded, letting out a held breath before clutching his dice. He was going to get the puzzle back. Alright. Ok...

 

He had to win this on his own now. "Thank you," he said with relief, shaking his head and composing himself again. "Now..." He tossed the three dice to the table, watching them clatter across the ground only to swallow. "Gh..." Arrow, pentacle, crossed swords... "They're all different..."

 

"Hnhnhnhnhn... You failed to summon a monster." Eeeeeeeh... Not good... "Too bad," Otogi said with a 'sigh', shaking his head as he looked across the board. "You chose such high-level dice, you're going to find it really hard to do any better than this." W-Wait...

 

What? "H-High level..." They had levels? How did-!

 

Otogi nodded, smirking as he continued to spin the dice. "Let me explain. There are six types of crests... There are the three I mentioned earlier, summon, magic, attack," he began, flipping the dice in his hand to reveal a star, pentacle and blades for a moment, "And then there are three others, defense, the shield, along with traps, and the option to 'go forward'... The arrow," he continued with a smirk. "And the number of summoning crests the die has defines the level of the monster inside. Take my monster, the 'Level Two Wizard Dragon' for example," he said with a nod, crossing his arms as he continued. "There are three summoning crests on his die, so there's a fifty percent chance of summoning. Because of that," Otogi stated, pulling the dice back into his hand, "He has a low level... Take a look at your dice," he continued, his opponent doing just that for the moment. "How many crests are on yours? All in all, all three of them only had one crest.

 

That was it. Uh oh... "Gh... One..."

 

"That's right," Otogi said with a grin, smirking as his opponent continued to look over the dice. "Which means your chances of summoning are very slim. Of course," he said with a somewhat dismissive wave, "This also means that your monsters are very powerful... But if you rely on just gathering powerful monsters, you'll lose very quickly. Now, you could very well get lucky," he added, giving a shrug. "And manage to roll the two summoning crests you need... But even so," the teen continued, looking at his opponent almost darkly as he spoke. "Four crests for a level one monster, three for two, two for three, and one for four... If I were to hazard a guess Yugi... I'd say that all of your dice are somewhere in the level three level four zone, aren't they?" Damn...

 

Damn it, he was right! Besides maybe two or three, most of the dice he'd picked out had varied crests! Yugi bit his lip, looking back at the dice in his hands. It hadn't even occurred to him that not having a wide selection of crests would be bad, and now he was stranded with only high-level summons. Not good...

 

His opponent sighed, pulling another dice from the side and adding it to his other two. "Well," he said with a shrug, "Seeing how you failed to summon a monster, it's my turn now... As with before!" he called with a shout, tossing the dice to the table, "I roll three... And as before," he added with a smirk, and arrow and two stars appearing as the dice clattered into place on the ground, "I get to summon a monster. So," he continued, grabbing the dice with a swift movement and clacking one of them into place on the table, "Dimension dice! The path extends," Otogi shouted, "And I now have two dragons on the field. And in addition to that," he said with an almost menacing grin, Yugi growing pale as the second monster's path clicked in place on his side of the board, "This 'forward' crest means that my monster moves one step..."

 

Bringing him closer to his 'Dungeon Monster'. This was alright though. It was just one step. Just one...

 

He nodded, grabbing his dice again. Alright... "My turn then!" he shouted, sweating somewhat. He couldn't lose. He couldn't... The dice clattered to the ground, Yugi wincing. "Ah..." Summon, forward, 'attack'... The star, the arrow, and the crossed blades.

 

Damn.

 

"I missed again..."

 

"Hnhnhnhnhn... Better hurry up and summon something Yugi," Otogi said with an odd grin, folding his hands in front of him before grabbing another die. "At this rate, things will be over in seconds... Hahahahaha!" Gh... Not good. Not good! If this kept on happening...

 

The boy swallowed, biting his lip. ' _Other me...'_ He'd never hear that voice again...

 

He'd never...

 

_'...Aibou...'_

 

* * *

 

"What do y' mean, 'he's not there'?!"

 

The guard outside the store sighed as the blond shouted at him, hat under his shoulder as he looked over the five questioning him. It had been about half an hour since Yugi 'disappeared' into the store; and as the clock struck three, most of those in the Kame Game had decided that maybe they should check to see if something had happened.

 

Which brought them there, catching one of the guards as they left the building to finish their shift. "Look," he said with a sigh, scratching his head and looking over the small crowd that had cornered him. "I wasn't even there when they took him in... All I know is that they found his wallet and sent him on his way," he continued, shaking his head. "I mean, he's not in the building any more!"

 

But that couldn't be right, they were just down the road and they didn't see a thing... Not a single person left the building! "But there's no way!" Katsuya protested, shaking his head and scowling at the man. "There's no way he'd just 'vanish' after somethin' like that," he continued, "He said he'd meet us back at th' house!"

 

"Yeah, well, I'm not him," the guard said, giving a shrug and pulling off his jacket as he shook his head. "I'm not even on duty any more. If you're so worried about him," he continued, folding the jacket over his arm as he pulled out his car keys, "Then call the police." Yeah because that would do much... The guard moved off for the parking lot, still shrugging. "Like I said before... I can't do anything." Damn it damn it _damn it_!

 

"Jonouchi," Sugoroku said from behind, shaking his head with a somewhat exasperated sigh. "Let's just go back to the house," he continued with a shrug, turning back to head for the crosswalk. "He's probably caught up with your friend... Otogi right?"

 

The group nodded, frowning somewhat as they headed back and waited for the light to change again. "Yeah... 'Otogi Ryuji'," Mokuba said, shaking his head. "But... Jii-san," the boy asked, looking at the man, "Are you sure that this is alright? Just leaving it like that I mean..."

 

Sugoroku nodded, walking across the street and back to their house. "Of course," he said with a slight shout, arms crossed behind his back. "Listen... Yugi isn't some little boy," the man said with a frown, "He's a senior student, like all of you! Well... Most of you," he added somewhat offhandedly, looking at Mokuba as the boy continued to frown. "The fact is, he's able to handle himself! We'll just go back to the house and wait for him to come back alright? Like I said," he continued with a smile, "He's probably just gotten a little caught up in something or other."

 

There was another round of hesitant nods, Katsuya crossing his arms with a frown as they came to the Kame Game entrance. "Still... 'S not like Yugi t' jus' vanish without a word..." Wasn't like that at all, he was normally pretty good about keeping track of things like that...

 

He paused for a moment, looking back to Bakura as the albino stared at the building. Huh... Looked like he wasn't the only one who-

 

"Gh!" Briefly the blond's eyes widened again, staring over the 'Black Clown'.

 

Another flash.

 

Black sky, red glow, _what the hell was that even supposed to mean_ , seriously...

 

The blond shook it off, blinking a few more times as the flash stopped again. "Oi, Bakura!" he called, the teen jumping somewhat before turning. "You comin'?" he asked, jerking his head back toward the game store behind them.

 

"Erm... Y-Yes," he said with a cough, turning back to the others and running over from where he was standing. "Right... Right... Ah..." He looked back at the blond, before frowning somewhat. "Ahhh... ...Jonouchi-kun?" he asked, blinking a few times, "What exactly is that?" That?

 

The blond looked down at his shirt where Bakura was staring, before hurriedly grabbing the dog-tags around his neck and stowing them underneath it. Aaa _aack_ , shit, no one was supposed to see that! "Ehhh... Nothin'," he said with a laugh, coughing somewhat and shaking his head, "It's really jus'-"

 

"Were those dog tags?" Anzu said with raised eyebrows as the blond turned back, Katsuya mentally nailing his head against a wall in response. Ahhhh damn it. Mokuba silently laughed at the side, Anzu and Bakura continuing to 'stare'. "I _knew_ you had something around your neck," she continued with a smile, "But... I didn't think you'd go near anything with the word 'dog' in it given how you react to it..." Yeah haha, very funny...

 

"Yeah, well, now y' know, an why don' we jus' leave it at that," he said fairly quickly, moving toward the door to open it.

 

Anzu smirked, shaking her head. "Sure thing... But where did you even get the tags?" she pressed, shaking her head, "I didn't think you regularly had enough for those... If you're even interested in getting things like that..."

 

"Gh- None of yer business!" he shouted somewhat loudly, still holding the door open for the others. Bakura blinked, rubbing the back of his neck somewhat nervously.

 

"We were just asking Jonouchi-kun..."

 

"Yeah?" he responded somewhat testily, "Well I ain't answerin'!"

 

"Oh... It can't be that much of a big deal Jonouchi..."

 

"I'm sorry if it bugs you..."

 

"Now _where_ have I heard that name..."

 

Eh? The three turned, looking at where Sugoroku was apparently talking to Mokuba. "Er... What?" Katsuya asked, blinking. "Y' mean 'Otogi'?" he added, the old man merely continuing to stare at the ground in response.

 

"Otogi, Otogi..." Guess that answered his question. Sugoroku continued to frown, shaking his head. "Just how is it written exactly?" he asked, looking toward the others. Er... Written? He hadn't really... Mokuba shrugged, hands behind his head as he answered for the others. "I'm pretty sure it's 'O' as in 'honorable' and 'togi' as in 'entertainer'... Why?" he asked, blinking as he brought his hands back down. "Does that remind you of anything?"

 

The old man continued to frown, arms crossed as he looked down in thought. "Hnnnn... It seems familiar," he muttered, eyes narrowed as he shook his head, "But I just can't place where I heard it..." Huh. The others stared, sharing glances and shrugs before walking into the game store. Yeah...

 

Weird thing that...

 

* * *

 

In the time that the others had spent in trying and failing to locate him, Yugi had ended up frantically shouting from within his mind to the voice that he thought he'd heard. ' _Other me_ ,' he 'shouted' loudly, eyes wide and staring at the board in a panic. ' _Other me? Are you... Are you there?_ '

 

But of course, there was no answer. The voice he'd thought he'd heard remained completely silent. The connection was held through the puzzle after all, so how could there be an answer? It was just...

 

Just his imagination...

 

Yugi looked back at the board as the words 'summoning crests' came through the air, swallowing as a third monster was brought to the field by his opponent. A third dragon and a third chunk of 'path'...

 

And only three or four squares between the edge of it and his dungeon master. "Something wrong Yugi?" Otogi asked from his side of the table, smirking as his opponent pulled himself back to reality. "Am I maybe coming a little too close to your side for comfort?" Gh... This wasn't good. If he didn't summon something soon...

 

Then he would lose more than just the puzzle. He'd lose...

 

Yugi grabbed the dice from the board, breathing raggedly in his panic as he tried and failed to calm himself. "...My turn!" he shouted loudly, swallowing back a choke as he gripped the dice in hand. Please, please, _please_ , he begged mentally, tossing the dice to the table and watching as they clattered about. Please give him summoning...

 

Damn it!

 

The boy bit his lip, head bowed as he was greeted with two 'forward', 'arrow' crests and a 'magic', 'pentacle' one. Damn... Again! He'd failed again!

 

"And here I heard that you were the 'king of games'," Otogi said from across the table, Yugi looking up with narrowed and angry eyes. "Is this really all that the 'king' can do?" he asked, shaking his head as his opponent stared in silence. "Hn, Yugi?" Gh...

 

Don't talk about that, please... That title meant nothing, especially with how he had to get it. He didn't even know what happened to Pegasus afterwards, he'd ended up leaving him there at the table...

 

"Well... Then again," Otogi said with a laugh, pulling the boy from his thoughts, "That was all the 'other you', wasn't it?"

 

...What...

 

What... He knew about... "Without the power in that puzzle," he continued, shaking his head as he looked over at the wall, "You're just a weak little boy..." What? Yugi's eyes widened, frozen in a mix of shock and fear. No... This wasn't. He wasn't... "Of course," the teen added, "We aren't done yet... Are we Yugi?" Otogi said with a smirk, grabbing his next die and adding it to his two as he had for all of his previous turns. "I intend to completely destroy you with this game... And I'm not going back on that..." Not going back... What did he mean? "Now," he shouted, rolling the dice and watching as a pair of summoning crests appeared. "For my fourth monster," Otogi announced, "I can now reach your area! Go," he continued, pushing the die into the table before allowing it to unfold. "Twin-Headed Griffin!"

 

Gh! The boy tensed, watching as the die's net locked into the board to reveal a two-headed, cyclopean dragon. One step he thought with a swallow, watching the holographic figure's wings beat at the air.

 

Just one step and he'd be vulnerable to attack. "Hnhnhnhnhn... _Check_ ," Otogi said clearly, smirking. "And if you can't summon anything," he continued, opponent gritting his teeth in panic as he stared at the board, "Then it's ' _mate_ '." Not good, not good... If he didn't summon anything this turn... "Your turn Yugi," Otogi drawled, eyes still narrowed in a dark glare. "I'm waiting..."

 

If he didn't do anything, he told himself as his eyes closed over, then he'd never-

 

"... _Aibou_!" That voice-!

 

The boy's eyes snapped open, Yugi looking back at the table with a swallow. He knew. He knew it hadn't been in his mind! He could not lose... He couldn't! If he lost, then the puzzle...

 

His other self...

 

Yugi gripped the dice tightly, steeling himself as he looked over the crests. There was only one summoning crest on each die. A 1:6 shot he'd get the crest on each one, even slimmer chances to get two... _'I have to do this... I must get you back,_ ' he told himself, ' _I have to do this...'_ He looked across the table, tossing the dice forward with a silent nod. He wouldn't lose! No matter what!

 

Otogi was smirking. The dice were spinning across the table, clattering against the set paths... But against all the odds, he would do this. He had faith! The white one was 'magic', bearing the symbol of the pentacle. But the grass-green ones...

 

"Ha... HAHAHA! Yes!" The two stars stared up from the field below, Yugi taking hold of the white die and grinning. "Two summoning crests!" he shouted with a laugh, unable to keep a triumphant grin off his face. "Go!" He clacked the die into place, watching as Otogi tensed on the other end. "Little Wizard, Level 4!" he shouted, still grinning. The screen in front of him had flicked on and was detailing the monster now- there was a hidden ability at its disposal. When a magic crest was rolled, an attack from two spaces away was possible- and two spaces away from the magician right now... "Hehehe... Attack the Twin-Griffin!" Yugi ordered, the small holographic figure striking down the monster projected on Otogi's die. With a resounding and thundering roar the attack was made, Yugi still grinning as he shouted. "Thunder Rod!" The holographic dragon vanished in a show of light, leaving his mage to stand in place with a smirk. Just try attacking his dungeon master now! He could do this...

 

And he would do this! "So you summoned a monster," Otogi said, shrugging as his opponent looked across the board with a slight nod. "You might be safe now," he stated calmly, "But let's review. My path has already reached your area," he continued, gesturing at the field before crossing his arms. "And in addition to that... I have three dragons all waiting to strike. So tell me this Yugi," he continued, grabbing his dice as he was answered with silence. "How do you expect one monster to defend my next move?" The boy merely steeled his expression, remaining silent as he stared across the board. The real game had only just begun. No matter what the odds, he was going to win this...

 

No matter what. Just because it was one against three didn't mean he would give in...

 

No matter what! "Roll!" Otogi shouted, tossing his dice to the table top. They clattered about, coming to a stop as the series of red dice resulted in the exact same result as they always had. "Two summoning crests," he called loudly, grabbing one of them and moving it forward. "I summon Grenadier, level 2," the teen continued, pressing the die into the ground and moving back as the monster came into sight. "Now Grenadier here has a special ability," Otogi explained with a smirk, the monster sitting in place beside his closest dragon and tossing a bomb in its clawed draconic hands. "If I roll two trap crests," he explained, crossing his arms, "Then I can destroy any monster on the field..." Gn... Any monster on the field?!

 

Yugi swallowed, grabbing his next die and adding it to his other two. Hnn... He needed more monsters on the field. If not for an attack, then at least for a defense... He couldn't just go through with one monster if he didn't have to after all. "My turn!" the boy shouted, looking over his new white die with a mental nod. Three summoning crests on this one. If he combined this with his other die, then it would be easy to fill his side of the board right? He nodded to himself, tossing the dice to the ground and watching as they clattered about. "Alright!" he shouted, the white and first of the green dice landing with a star. "Summoning crests!" He grabbed the green one, pushing it down into place as the information appeared on the screen. "Crocosaurus, Level 4!" Phew! This monster was pretty strong...

 

Not only would it provide a good defense he noted, but it could potentially clear a path too. He moved his eyes from the axe wielding alligator, instead listening as his opponent began to speak. "Hn... My turn," Otogi called, pulling out his next die and rolling. The dice clattered across the board, both sides watching carefully as they fell. Star... Trap, if the 'spike' symbol was any sign... And tra- He missed? Yugi frowned, before paling as he quickly remembered the last monster Otogi had summoned. No. No he hadn't missed...

 

He'd...

 

"Hnhnhnhn... Exactly what I wanted," Otogi shouted, crossing his arms as he looked over the board. "Grenadier's ability activates," he announced, the holographic monster tossing a bomb forward with those words. A large 'explosion' occurred on the field where Yugi's recently summoned monster stood, leaving nothing behind as the light cleared. "And Crocosaurus is destroyed!" Gh-! Right after he'd summoned it too... "Hnhnhn... Too bad Yugi," Otogi said with a shrug, shaking his head. "That was a good summon." Hn... There was still another shot. There was still a shot...

 

"My turn!" Yugi shouted, pushing the thought of defeat from mind as best as he could while he grabbed his dice. There was still a chance... He still had a shot. He still had a shot at this! "Go!" The dice clattered to the ground, only for the boy to wince as he looked over the symbols. Forward, Summon, and Magic...

 

Damn, he muttered to himself, gritting his teeth as he looked at the dice and re-gathered them. Miss! "Hehehe... Dice roll!" Otogi roared, throwing his own dice forward while his opponent looked back across the field. "And once again," he shouted loudly, "I summon a creature! More over," he added with a dark laugh, the third of his crests revealed to be a single arrow as his monster was summoned from the die, "Girafuse moves forward!" No...

 

He had his mage, but he didn't have anything else. If he didn't make the right roll...

 

No no _no no no_... No... Was...

 

Was he really going to lose then? Was this really...

 

"Your turn Yugi," Otogi was saying, the boy merely biting his lip as sweat continued to drip on the side of his face. Not good. Not good. Otogi created this game, built it from nothing but a single thought... He knew all the rules, and all of the strategies.

 

He himself however, had literally come in with no knowledge, no strategy, no way of preparing, no way of even knowing he'd be in this mess! He was on worse footing than he had been even against Pegasus, with his other self! How...

 

How would he do this...

 

"Hey?" Otogi said from across the table, eyes narrowed as his opponent bowed his head, "Are you giving up?" The boy grit his teeth, looking up weakly only for his opponent's glare to intensify from across him. "Is this all you're capable of? Are you really as disappointing as you seem?" ...Otogi... Yugi swallowed, breathing raggedly as he looked over the board. What was he talking about? "Listen up Yugi," the teen said coldly, sitting up in his seat. "I know... That after you unlocked and solved that puzzle you defeated many people. And not just in card games," he added, the boy across from him tensing. "Not by a long shot..." What did he mean by that...

 

Yugi continued to stare, eyes wide as he looked at Otogi. He couldn't...

 

He couldn't possibly know about...

 

"...The 'Shadow Games'," the teen stated plainly, "'Games of Darkness', whatever you want to call them," Otogi continued with narrowed eyes, ignoring the shocked look from his opponent. "My dad told me about the powers of that puzzle from the moment I could understand what came out of his mouth. ' _He who solves the puzzle will be granted the powers of darkness'_ , those are the words engraved on the side of its container... And now," he continued, expression stern as he looked at his opponent, "That person has appeared. After thousands of years, 'Mutou Yugi', you solved that puzzle!" How did he know all of this. And what was he talking about... "The 'King of Games', not just duel monsters... It's my dream!" he shouted, still frowning, "To face off against that person, to prove myself worthy of solving that puzzle myself! If I can beat you... If I can solve that puzzle..."

 

How did he know all of this... ...No... How did...

 

How did his... "...Otogi-kun," Yugi said slowly, still frowning with wide and shocked eyes as he looked across the table, "How... How did your father know of all this?" How did anyone...

 

Otogi merely snorted, leaning back on his chair as he stared the boy down. "How did he know?" he 'asked', shaking his head and turning away. His expression fell from the somewhat smug looks he'd been holding the entire time he'd been in front of him, fading even further into an almost depressed and blank stare. "...That's a long story..."

 

"...I'm not going anywhere," Yugi answered after a few moments, bowing his head politely.

 

"...Then I'll begin."

 

* * *

 

 

"...This is a story that began just a short time after we were born. Maybe even before it," Ryuji added as he crossed his arms on the table. "Seventeen years ago there was a man, a single man known across the underground gaming circuit known for leaving an endless trail of defeats behind him. The 'undefeated champion', the master of any and all games be it poker, chess, checkers, old, new... Even if he was completely new to the board he would topple his competition in an instant," he stated plainly, snapping his fingers. "Just like that..."

 

Yugi swallowed, his eyes wide, but his mouth held firmly shut.

 

And so Ryuji continued. “My father was also a member of that dark ring... And so impressed with this man he'd heard so much of, he approached him and begged to be taken in as a student. And to my father's surprise he did just that," he continued, leaning against his seat as he recalled the tale with ease. "Gathering and testing out games from worldwide, he learned in his ways... And then one day," the teen stated, seemingly neutral tone quickly taking a turn for a darker sound, "He asked about a box he had sitting at the side, a golden 'chest' embedded with a symbol known as the 'Eye of Wdjat'... And he told him," Ryuji continued, "' _This box contains a puzzle... A treasure so valuable that only one man survived pulling it out from its tomb'_..." The boy across from him slowly began to frown.

 

"That man," he stated clearly, blinking slowly before continuing. "That man was my grandfather, wasn't it?" As a matter of fact...

 

Yes. It was. However he didn't answer that directly, merely continuing with the story. "Now," Ryuji said with a half-hearted shrug, eyes growing dim as his vision blurred over with the past, "When my father asked for the opportunity to solve this puzzle, he was of course refused the right. ' _Only the person who defeats me can be given that honor,_ ' he was told. And only that person... Needless to say," the teen stated darkly, abruptly looking up with cold eyes. "How could my father pass the chance? So they started a game. But rather than go with the standard," the teen stated, voice lowering almost to a whisper as his opponent listened intently, "They decided to try something different, something new," Ryuji said darkly, eyes narrowing. "But if Sugoroku knew the secrets of that board they decided on," he continued with a jump in volume, "He sure as hell didn't share them with my father. And at first when he was defeated, it seemed nothing had changed. My father left his studies with your grandfather and everyone moved on..." Or so they thought.

 

So they thought...

 

"But that board had a dark curse... A terrible curse," he muttered, looking at the side. The reason he was here, the only reason... "How do you think it would _feel_ ," Ryuji spat, glaring at the boy across from him as he was answered with a single steady look. He couldn't know. Of course he didn't. But even so...

 

He had to at least come close.

 

"To watch, as over night, your father suddenly succumbed to the same bone pains of a man at least thirty years older than him? As his bones and muscles suddenly became brittle and worn, hair going grey and falling out, all within the first day! 'Premature aging' they called it," he spat with a snarl, face growing red as he revealed the well kept secret he'd held between himself and his father. "For two entire years, I got to watch as my father went from less than thirty years old to triple that amount, and _THEN SOME_!"

 

And still he was answered with silence, opponent merely staring with no apparent change in emotion save maybe the twitch of an eyebrow. Nothing...

 

Nothing at all. Ryuji grit his teeth, narrowing his eyes. "This fight isn't just some _game_ Yugi," he said darkly. "This fight has been fated to happen since that night all those years ago. And for my father, not only will I avenge this unspoken crime that I've been raised to fight against, I'm going to earn the rights to that Millennium Puzzle... I'm going to defeat you," he stated clearly, "And with that, I'll inherit the powers of that device. But I'm going to do it fairly," he continued, narrowing his eyes. "So you show me," he growled, looking across the table as his opponent's expression shifted even further into anger. "Show me the power and skill of the one who could solve the millennium puzzle!"

 

Silence...

 

Ryuji's opponent sat across from him, holding his dice in his hands. "My turn," he finally said clearly, voice devoid of both hatred and anger. He merely stared across the board, and then back at the dice in his hands. He had to hand that to the guy. Keeping his anger out of this...

 

Personally he thought, as the boy looked over his two summoning crests and trap crest, he wasn't able to do that any more. The teen watched as his opponent silently looked over the dice, before placing his on the side. No move...

 

He placed the die, but he didn't summon. "That's right," his opponent stated, answering the unspoken question and looking forward. "I decided not to summon just yet..." Hnnn...

 

Now what was he planning then? He narrowed his eyes briefly, grabbing his dice and fingering them as he looked over the board. It didn't look like there was anything. ...Hn! Whatever! Leave it be...

 

He'd just have to take the chance during this 'break'. "Dice roll!" he shouted, tossing the three red die to the table top. He watched as they fell to a stop, before smirking as he looked over his result. Exactly what he needed. "Hehehe... Two forward and an attack crest... So not only can I send my two monsters in range of your Dungeon master," the teen continued, watching as his opponent went pale in response to the advancing army, "I can also use this attack crest to make the first hit! Lizard Dragon!" he ordered, the more powerful of his monsters opening its mouth in the face of Yugi's 'dungeon master', "Attack!"

 

In a roar of flames the figure was struck, one of the three pulsing lights quickly fading out from the small figurine.

 

"Hahahahaha! Only two hearts left@" Ryuji shouted, smirking as he leaned back in his seat. "What next?"

 

His opponent merely looked over at his other die, tapping it into the board. "This!" he shouted, the cube unfolding to link up with his own paths. "Iron Demon Gorugon, Level Three!" The iron de-

 

Ryuji went pale, watching as the large, spherical monster stared at the two dragons before it. It was lined up perfectly... And had it been any other monster he wouldn't be worried at all. But the special ability of that monster was-!

 

"Rolling crush!" Yugi shouted as the monster became a perfect sphere, barrelling toward the row that his two monsters formed. "Destroy the Lizard Dragon and Grenadier!" With a single movement the monster advanced, crushing the two dragons and coming to a stop at the other side of the path. Gh...

 

Two of his monsters. He just sacrificed one of his 'lives' to destroy most of his monsters in one shot...

 

"Otogi-kun," Yugi said clearly, glaring at him from across the board. "No matter what happened in the past... I won't let you take my Millennium Puzzle!"

 

Tch... Ryuji looked across the board, a small smirk coming over his face despite the loss. Huh. He hadn't thought of that trick... Heh! Not bad. He looked back at his opponent, narrowing his eyes. "Hnhnhn... As I thought... You're no coward," the teen said, shaking his head somewhat. "It wasn't luck that allowed you to solve that puzzle." This just made things even better! More fun!

 

...But he couldn't let that distract him. Not today. Now what was he thinking of right now? The two stared at each other in silence for a moment, eyes narrowed. Did he think he was playing... For himself? To get the puzzle for his own gain?

 

No. He could care less about the 'powers of darkness' to tell the truth. That... Was merely a bonus. But for revenge... The boy across from him looked up from the board, expression shifting somewhat as Ryuji looked down momentarily. Of course. Of course it was for revenge. For his father...

 

And for himself. To make right the wrong that had turned his father into the man he was today. To make up for the cane, the shouts, the mask... And for the leather-beaten face beneath it. But...

 

He looked up, steeling himself as he narrowed his eyes. Well. While 'power' was not on his list, even he could not ignore the mysteries that the puzzle held. And to solve those mysteries, he had to win this fight. Defeat Yugi... And earn the right to wield the puzzle himself. "Yugi," Ryuji called out, breaking the silence with narrowed eyes. "It's your turn!"

 

The boy nodded, grabbing a new die and picking up his remaining two. Thanks to his last move the 'Iron Demon' was ready to defend the dungeon master. But Yugi likely knew damn well that defense wasn't the only answer. Ryuji watched as the boy rolled his dice, grinning as he again earned the right to summon a monster. "Alright!" he shouted, placing the dice on the field. "Duker Twin Swords!" The boy looked forward, grin vanishing in the place of a frown as the tall, dual-wielding swordsman appeared on the field. "My monster stands by for now," he said clearly, bowing his head. "And like the other crests," he continued, "I'll add them to my pool..." So he'd figured out about that then? Hn...

 

Like his Grandfather. As expected. "Of course," Ryuji said with a nod, narrowing his eyes. There was no rule that said you had to use your crests on your turn after all. And gathering them together was always something that could come in handy. "My turn," he continued, grabbing his dice. Star, star, swords! "Dimension dice... Flame Armor Dragon, Level 3!" The teen watched as the path merged with that of the 'Duker Twin Swords', before smirking as his monster swung its axe. "And during this turn, I'll make use of my crest pool... Go! Two forward crests!" he shouted, two of his three vanishing from the screen, "And the attack crest... I'll use them to have the Flame Dragon move forward and attack! DRAGON SWORD!"

 

"In that case," his opponent responded, "I also activate two crests from my pool," Yugi shouted, pointing forward as his monster blocked the strike. "Go..! Twin Blade Attack! Destroy the Flame Armor Dragon!" In a flash of light the blades clashed, the higher level monster easily barrelling through his dragon. The boy across from him grinned, nodding to himself as the field was left in his favor once more. Again...

 

"Hnhnhnhnhn..." As expected of course. But how soon would it be before he realized what kind of hole he was in? What kind of advantage he now had? "Hah _ahahaha_!" Yugi frowned, looking at the teen as he continued to laugh. "It's great that you destroyed my monster... Really," he said with a smirk, "Good on you! But I already knew what crests you had in your pool... And I had a pretty good feeling that you'd destroy my monster. But Yugi," he continued with a grin, crossing his arms. "The results of this game isn't something determined by the attack or defense of the monsters... Something you don't seem to have figured out. Maybe a little too much time playing Duel Monsters," he asked, shrugging. "Either way... Take a look at the battle field," he said with a smirk, watching as his opponent grew pale.

 

When summoning a dice monster, there had to be space for the dice net. The way it unfolded would eventually set a complex series of puzzles. But the paths had to connect back to the base, and while he himself had a majority of his field free, his constant summoning had done one thing that just set the game for him. On the entire field, thanks to the solid line created...

 

There wasn't a single place for Yugi to set and summon another monster.

 


	14. Red Skies At Night

The thoughts that were running through Yugi's mind as he sat at the table could be considered predictable by this point. After all, while he'd been absolutely flying for the last few moments, looking at the board now...

 

Well. Damn. Damn...

 

_Damn it!_ Yugi stared at the field, shutting his eyes as he bit his lip. Across from him Otogi was chuckling, shaking his head. A trap. An unavoidable trap but a trap nonetheless, damn it all...

 

"Hnhnhnhnhn... Not a single free spot left," Otogi said with a smirk, spinning the dice in his hands. "After all with six faces on the die, you have the potential to fill an area of 3 by 4 squares. With all the possible patterns," the teen continued, "Taking into consideration flipping the position left and right, you have at least thirty different sets... So I might be 'behind' in terms of power now," he added with a smirk, shaking his head and crossing his arms. "But if I just bide my time and build up my army, moving closer to your dungeon master... I will win this game." Gh...

 

Damn it... Yugi continued to stare at the field, looking at the 'line' that Otogi had created with his monster summons. He had at least two thirds of the field under a monopoly now! Compared to that, he himself would be able to summon maybe two monsters, and that would be it.

 

And two was probably pushing it. Yugi swallowed, still staring at the board as his opponent grabbed his next die to add to his two. "Now then... My turn!" he shouted, spinning the dice around in his hands. "Yugi," he called, the boy looking up as his opponent held the die up, "Take a look at this..." A black die. "This black die is rare enough as it is," he said with a smirk, holding it between his fingers. "But take a look at this summoning crest on the side..." The crest?

 

Yugi blinked, frowning as he looked over the coloured crest on the die. It was... Red? Most of the stars were a plain white...

 

But red? Otogi smirked, looking down at his pending dice where a single black one sat with an identical crest on its side. "In fact, I have another 'rare black' die sitting right there. Put two of those together and you can get one nasty combination... Just wait and see," he continued darkly, Yugi biting his lip as he looked at his opponent. "This is going to be fun... Now... Go!" Otogi shouted, tossing the dice to the ground and letting them clatter to the floor. The teen's smirk grew as he was answered with two summoning crests, opponent wincing in response. Shoot... "I'll summon from the black die!"

 

Yugi stared, frowning as the teen set it on his side of the field. It was barely out of range of the dungeon master. Why wouldn't he set it closer, to attack though?

 

"Now..." The net began to unfold, revealing a large, eye-ball-like creature as its master continued, "Dark Eye Stalker, Level Two!" Hang on. Yugi continued to frown, watching as a spiral appeared at the end of the monster's path. What was that... "This," Otogi said calmly, taking his opponent's frown as a sign of confusion, "Is a 'Warp Crest'..." The boy blinked, looking up. Warp crest? "In the rarer black dice, you can unlock certain crests... This," he continued, "Is one of them... And when there are two rare black die on the field, that crest can be activated." Two dice, one set portal. Alright then... "One becomes an entrance, and one becomes an exit... And in no time flat," Otogi continued with a smirk, "I can send my monsters from my side of the field... To yours..."

 

Which meant that he wouldn't have to waste time going down the path either, Yugi realized with a swallow, eyes widening. Rather than travel along the extra portion of the path to his side as the dice were linked up with the path, he could get a direct shot...

 

And there was only enough space to summon one die in his area as it was. If Otogi summoned a monster before he could... He looked back at his dice, before slowing gaining a smirk on his face as he spotted the next die in his 'dice line up'. "Heh... Otogi-kun," he said calmly, grabbing his dice and holding them forward. "You forgot something," he continued, watching as his opponent paled. "I have a black die as well... And more over," the boy stated, turning the die over in his hands and holding it forward, "It has a red crest on it." Otogi continued to pale, eyes wide as the boy tossed the dice into the air. "It's my turn now," he shouted, the dice clattering about the board and slowly falling to a stop. Battle... Summon... And...

 

Aha!

 

He grinned somewhat darkly as the black die landed with the summoning crest, before snatching it from the table and setting it on the side. "Not only do I summon a monster," he said with a shout, watching as information flashed on the screen before him, "I also activate the Warp Crest inside it!" The net unfolded, warp crest 'swirling' the moment it appeared as the monster summoned blurred through the portal. "The Black Ninja attacks!" he shouted, the monster appearing from the other warp crest in an instant. "And he attacks the Dark Eye Stalker!"

 

Otogi was utterly white now, the teen gritting his teeth and looking at the board. Alright... Moving on! Defending his own dungeon master was one thing...

 

But right now he was boxed in, and if he couldn't summon anything more then the only way for him to win was to warp into 'enemy territory' and strike with what he had! Which meant that it was up to the Black Ninja now! "Gh..." Yugi's opponent swallowed, narrowing his eyes. "It's my turn," Otogi shouted loudly, grabbing his last die from the side and rolling. "Go!" The two watched intently as the dice spun about the table, each one coming to a stop within seconds. Summon...

 

Trap...

 

Magic! Hahah! Yugi grabbed his dice while his opponent grit his teeth, tossing them onto the board with a nod. "Now it's my turn!" he called out, a pair of arrows appearing among the results. "Yes! Two 'forward' crests... The Black Ninja takes two steps forward," he shouted, the monster doing just that with an increased speed. "Now, Black Ninja!" the boy ordered, his monster now within range of Otogi's clown-like Dungeon Master. "Attack!"

 

With a single swift motion the ninja struck, drawing a pair of blades and slicing into the dungeon master. The first of the three lights faded out, Yugi nodding to himself as he looked up from the board. There. Tie game! Now they were both even, point for point.

 

...Wait...

 

The boy frowned as chuckling came through the air, narrowing his eyes. "Hahaha..." ...Why was he laughing... "Hahahah! Yugi!" Otogi shouted, grinning darkly, "Pulling me into a tie this quickly... You're getting me excited!" Errr...

 

O-Okay..? (This was reminding him a little of the duel with Kaiba in Death-T somehow...)

 

Yugi swallowed, staring in silence as his opponent gripped his last three dice. "But you won't touch my Dungeon Master again," the teen stated, the expression instantly darkening into a scowl as he said this. "It's my turn now... Roll!" Ah. The dice clattered to the ground, bouncing off the sides of each other as they fell to the ground. Star... Star... And...

 

...Star!

 

"Hahaha! Three summon crests!" Otogi shouted, grinning widely as his opponent went white. A Triple roll! "Thanks to that, the level of the summoned monster goes up one... Which means that the monster I summon, the God Orgoth," he called out, pushing the black die into place and watching as the net unfolded. "That which was once a level three creature... Is now a level four! In addition to that," he added with a grin, Yugi growing steadily paler as the monster appeared behind his Ninja, "By spending three of the magic crests in my pool, I equip him with the 'Diamond Blade', quadrupling his power... Something I intend to do right this moment!" What!

 

_Quadruple!_ What kind of ability was that!? The boy swallowed, watching as the enormous monster charged toward his own as a large gleaming blade appeared in his hands. Oh crap...

 

"God Orgoth!" Otogi was shouting, the enormous sword coming closer as its owner tromped forward, "Attack with Diamond Blade!" No no no no _no_ , he didn't have enough power to defend against-

 

He tensed, eyes widening briefly as he looked back at the screen. Wait. In his crest pool... He had enough to...

 

The boy hurriedly pressed one of the buttons below the screen, three of his crests vanishing from view as he turned his attention back to the board. Please work please work...

 

The blade connected with the 'ground', a cloud of synthesized dust hitting the air around the sword. "Hah!" Otogi shouted as the dust hovered around the board, smirking, "Got him," he continued, the dust clearing to reveal a blank space where the sword sat. Phew...

 

It worked... "Are you sure?" Yugi asked, looking at his opponent as a small light flashed across the screen. "Take a good look at the field Otogi-kun," he said calmly, the teen following his gaze. Though the blade was still there, as it was pulled out a void seemed to appear...

 

"You _didn't,_ " Otogi muttered, eyes wide as he stared at the field. The void 'increased' as the ninja slowly came back into view, Yugi nodding in response.

 

Oh he did. "The moment God Orgoth attacked," Yugi stated calmly, "I paid three magic crests from my pool to activate the Black Ninja's special ability. Invisibility!" he shouted, his opponent still looking over the field in shock. "Rendering him immune to all attack this turn!" Which gave him at least enough of a shot to take down another of the dungeon master's points. Hah...

 

_'Good job..._ '

 

Yugi jumped, eyes widening briefly as a faint whisper met his ears. ...That voice...

 

That was...

 

_'Keep at it, aibou... No matter what happens...'_

 

Don't give up. ...He was...

 

Silence passed for a moment, Otogi momentarily smirking as he leaned back in his seat. He wasn't losing... He wasn't losing! "...Otogi-kun," Yugi said after a moment, frowning as he looked across the table. "...There's something you should know. Even though you took the puzzle from me... You didn't break the bond between us! I'm not alone," he continued, shaking his head and swallowing. "Fighting along side with me... Is the other me, who dwells in the Millennium Puzzle! We're still connected," Yugi said confidently, looking straight ahead as a small smile appeared on his face. "And I can still hear his voice..."

 

' _Don't give up..._ ' He could hear it clearly, as if he was wearing it now. ' _No matter what happens..!_ '

 

_'...I won't, other me.'_ "That's why," he continued, steeling his gaze and gripping his dice tightly in his hands. "That's why I won't lose! Now it's my turn!" he shouted, rolling the dice and allowing the crests to log into the 'pool' on the screen. "Black Ninja," he ordered, the monster turning back to the Dungeon Master and ignoring the presence of the much larger monster behind it. "ATTACK!"

 

* * *

 

In a flash of light the blades of Yugi's ninja struck true. The second light on his dungeon master faded out of existence, putting the tie situation into a draw-back situation. One more attack. Ryuji stared, a smirk slowly coming on his face.

 

One more attack and it was over. This... This was fun. But he wouldn't let him make that attack.

 

No matter what! Yugi didn't have the crests to defend himself again after all, so there wouldn't be another chance! Hehehe...

 

Even so... It'd be nice... If after this, they could just sit down and play a game for the hell of it, with a 'normal board'. Without his father's revenge or the millennium puzzle on the line...

 

The teen silently chuckled to himself at the idea, grabbing his two dice only to freeze as the door hidden to the side abruptly spun around. "W-What..."

 

"RYUJI!" the hoarse voice of his father roared, the old man running in with the Millennium Puzzle gripped tightly in his hand. What was he doing here. What was his father doing there... With the puzzle? "I forbid you... Completely forbid you from even thinking of accepting a loss from this boy... From Sugoroku's grandson!"

 

"Y-You..." Yugi instantly frowned, turning to the old man with a shout. "That's my puzzle!"

 

What did he think he was doing, he had this under control! "D-Dad..!"

 

The man growled, expression of rage well hidden by the misshapen clown's mask on his face. "Sixteen years," he said with a choke, shaking his head as he looked over the two. " _Sixteen years_ it's been since I played that wretched game with Sugoroku over this puzzle... And now this game has come full circle!" he shouted hoarsely, hands gripping the puzzle tightly as Yugi slowly stood from his seat. "Into the next generation!"

 

"You..." Yugi shook his head, turning to the man with wide eyes as he stepped from the chair. "Give my my puzzle back!" he shouted, Ryuji looking over his shoulder as the man holding it stood there in silence. What was he up to...

 

"Hehehe... Listen good you little rat," the man spat darkly, pulling the puzzle back behind him as his son frowned. "You think you're getting this thing back? Think again!" he rasped, eyes narrowed to mere slits beneath the mask. "The power of this puzzle belongs to one person and one person only," the old man raged, "And that's my son! My boy, Ryuji!" Yugi shook his head, Ryuji watching in silence with narrowed eyes as his friend grit his teeth.

 

"No," he said quietly, moving away from the table. "No! The Millennium Puzzle is more than that, it's a part of me," he cried, eyes wide as his face grew red. "It's the other half of my heart, my soul..." His soul? "Give it back!" he shouted with wide and angry eyes, looking at the clown from across the table.

 

The clown merely snorted, grip on the puzzle's chain tightening further. "Like HELL!"

 

Damn it! "DAD!" The old man tensed, looking to the side as his son stared at the board. "...Dad. This is our fight," he said with a growl, looking at the man from the corner of his eyes as he stood from his chair. "Please... Don't get in the way of this," he continued, hurriedly looking back as he was met with the confused blood-shot eyes of his father. Just.

 

Don't... "Wh...What... What are you saying Ryuji?" his father muttered, shaking his head and turning to the teen. "I'm... I'm doing this because I love you," he continued almost pitifully, shaking his head. "I _love_ you Ryuji," he repeated, sounding more pathetic than frightening for the moment. "I'm just trying to... Trying to help..."

 

He swallowed, not looking at the man. Now was not the time.

 

Not at all. "Leave us alone, Dad," he said darkly, closing his eyes as he continued to stand at the table. "I told you... This is our game."

 

"But... But Ryuji..."

 

He turned, eyes flying open as he went red. "I SAID LEAVE IT, DAD!" The man jumped somewhat, looking at him incredulously before stepping back with a few short nods.

 

"I see," he muttered darkly, gripping the puzzle in his hands as he walked away. Ryuji swallowed, calming down somewhat as his father moved away. "You don't understand... You never. Never really understood..." Damn it, don't do this again...

 

"Dad," he muttered, sighing as he stared at the table and bit his lip, "Don't do this, please. Not now, not..."

 

"I'll help you," the old man continued darkly, the two beside the table slowly turning with frowns at those words. "I'll do something that will shatter this boy's very will to fight..."

 

What-!

 

"HRNNNNGGGG!"

 

Instantly Yugi went white, body going tense in reaction to what was almost an invisible electric shock. "NO!" _What!_ Ryuji frowned, looking at his father and back to Yugi as the boy choked. The man stood with his back to them, hiding his hands. What was he doing? What...

 

"Yugi," the old man muttered, gripping the puzzle tightly in his worn and bone-thin hands as he gasped for breath, turning toward them. "Didn't you say... That even without the puzzle," he said with a dark and tired laugh, "Your bond can't be broken?"

 

"S-Stop..." Yugi stood stock still, eyes wide as tears began to develop. Scared. Yugi was scared, but why... "Stop..." _What the hell was he doing_?

 

Ryuji moved out from his chair, eyes wide as he looked over at his father. "Dad?" he muttered, eyes narrowing somewhat as he frowned, "Dad what are you..."

 

What the hell was he... "Hahahahaha..." _Why_ the hell was he... "In that case," the old man spat, growing tense as he pulled at the puzzle, "I'll CRUSH THIS! Haaaaaaahhh... _HAHHHH._.." He continued to pull at the metal, grit teeth somewhat visible through the hole in the mask. "Gnnnnn..!"

 

"S-STOP!" Yugi shouted, eyes growing even wider as he screamed, "STOP IT PLEASE!"

 

"All of it!" the clown continued to rasp, almost to himself. "Into pieces..!" No...

 

_No._

 

"Dad what the hell are you doing!"

 

- _click_

 

"Hahahahaha!" The sound of clacking metal met the air, a small 'slat' coming out from the side. "I did it!" the old man shouted, a single piece falling to the floor as the two boys behind him froze.

 

"Ahhh... _Ahhhh...!_ " What was going on... He... He didn't need to do this, and why was Yugi... "No..." More clacking sounds came as the next piece was pulled out, Yugi reaching forward as he fell to his knees in shock. "No... NO! STOP IT!" he wailed eyes following each piece as it was pulled out, “STOP IT!" More pieces fell to the ground.

 

One, two, all of them, shattering and falling to the ground as their 'key' piece fell to the floor and left only the bare bones of the 'base' of the pyramid hanging from the chain. He couldn't even move as he watched, Yugi crying at the side, his father laughing almost maniacally...

 

"What the hell Dad," he whispered, eyes not moving from the gold on the ground. "What..."

 

"Aaaa _aaaaaaaauuuuhhh..._ " On the ground Yugi was gripping at the ground, still staring at the puzzle with wide and tear filled eyes, as though in pain. "AA _AAAAHHHHHHH_!" What was going on.. And _how could his father just laugh at this_!?

 

"AHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHA! Don't worry boy," hi father said with an insane laugh, "My son will put it back together in mere moments... As the new successor to this legend, only seconds until then!" Why was he laughing! "We're right back to where we started," the clown continued, rasping as he swung the puzzle on its chain. "And now the legend can start over..." Was anyone even listening? _He_ wasn't after all, not to this...

 

And if Yugi _was_ listening...

 

Well, he sure wasn't responding, not right now.

 

"AAA _AAAAHHHH_!" Tears were rolling down his face as he reached for the fallen pieces, eyes appearing almost colourless as he screamed. "AUHAA _AAAAAAAAAA_! You..!" The boy chocked through his tears, picking up the pieces from the floor with wide eyes as he stared at them. "You... How could you... HOW COULD YOU DESTROY HIM!" he finally shouted, voice echoing through the room as he looked up at the clown in front of him. " _HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO MY OTHER SELF!_ "

 

"Hehehehehe... Well it's like you said," the man answered coldly, his son staring with wide eyes as he continued. "You have to win to get this puzzle back... Too bad that without it, you can't even do that, HAHAHAHA! HAHAHA-"

 

This was enough.

 

With a single swipe, the man was cut off, Ryuji calmly snatching the puzzle chain from old and weary hands before placing it on the table with narrowed eyes. This was enough.

 

And he should have stepped in long ago. " _Stop touching it._ "

 

"H-Hey..." The man stopped laughing, turning with confused eyes as his son glared and turned away. "What are you..."

 

Ryuji slowly stooped down to the ground, gathering a few of the pieces of the puzzle as he stared at the floor. "Yugi... I'm sorry... That you had to hear all of that," he muttered, voice barely above the level of a whisper. "Even more though I'm sorry that this had to _happen_..." He swallowed, stopping momentarily as he held the few pieces in his hands. Cold...

 

Ice cold, as though sending waves of hate right through to his very bones... A rejection so strong...

 

"...I never realized how important this was Yugi," he said quietly, unable to look at the boy. "I'm sorry."

 

"Gn.." There was no answer, Yugi merely gathering the pieces and stifling his cries as he attempted to calm down. "N..."

 

...Now then. "...Dad," Ryuji said with narrowed eyes, placing the pieces at the side with the puzzle before turning to the man. "This is my battle," he said clearly, not caring what his father said in response. "And I told you... Stay out of it. You don't have any right to decide if I win or lose. But Yugi," he continued loudly turning back to the boy and watching as he slowly stood up. "That doesn't mean the rules have changed... We're going to finish this game," the teen shouted, moving back toward his seat. "And the winner will receive the Millennium Puzzle, along with the honor of putting it back together," he continued, pulling into his seat at the side. "So take your seat... It's my turn!"

 

* * *

 

Gone.

 

Even compared to when the puzzle wasn't around his neck, the feeling in the back of his mind... The empty feeling, the void...

 

It hurt. So much it hurt... Yugi took shuddering breaths as he held a few of the pieces to his puzzle in his hands, swallowing in a faulty attempt to calm himself down. Eight years. He'd spent... Eight years... Putting this puzzle together...

 

_'Don't give up'_ , he'd said. Don't... Don't give...

 

The boy took another shaking breath, slowly placing the pieces alongside the rest of the puzzle before moving to take his seat. Don't give up. Hang in there. Hang in there...

 

He'd put that puzzle together again. He promised... He would get him back. Just one hit, he told himself with a swallow, sitting down and looking across the board. He only needed one hit! "Thinking about taking out my last point?" Otogi asked loudly, grabbing his dice as his opponent stared at the board. The teen frowned, tossing his dice to the ground. "Think again! It's my turn," he continued as the crests were logged away into his pool, "And God Orgoth attacks!" With a single strike his monster charged the ninja, diamond blade cutting cleanly through the Black Ninja before the monster vanished into smoke. Gh...

 

Yugi bit his lip, looking from the far end of the board to his own. His only monster in enemy territory. Now he only had three monsters at his side of the field... And not only did Otogi have four, counting his 'God Orgoth', but that same monster now had 2000 attack points. "Gh..."

 

"Oh... It's not as bad as it looks," the teen said with a smirk, holding his two dice in hand and pulling his opponent's attention back to him. Not as-

 

Well, he supposed he was as easy to read as anything at this point.

 

Yugi watched as the two dice spun around in his opponent's hands, the teen's 'dice slot' now empty. "After all, I can't summon any more monsters to the board, I only have two dice left." Ah... That was right. "So come on!" he shouted, pulling the dice he was spinning back into his hand before crossing his arms. "It's your turn! Don't keep me waiting." Hah...

 

It was his turn that was true, but he didn't have any way to attack right now. And since Otogi would definitely be focusing on moving his way from this point on, he'd better concentrate on defense for the moment. The boy rolled the dice, watching as the crests scattered over the field before gathering into his pool. It wasn't like he could summon after all. So... "I move Duker Twin Swords toward my Dungeon master," he stated clearly, watching as the monster shifted to cover the figure's side. Nothing more. "And that's it." Hah...

 

He needed this to work. "It's my turn!" Otogi shouted, tossing his two dice forward. A pair of arrows met their view, Yugi growing pale as his opponent smirked. Ohhhh shoot. "God Orgoth advances into the warp panel!" Oh no. Oh no no no... "Hehehehe... I'm coming in Yugi." the teen said darkly, grabbing his dice from the board. "Prepare for battle!" Shit...

 

"My turn," Yugi shouted, the dice landing with two arrows and a star. Nothing he could do. He swallowed, before looking forward. "The army stands its ground around the dungeon master!"

 

Otogi merely snorted at the announcement, spinning his dice. "Heh! A wall of monsters won't do anything against the God Orgoth! It's my turn again," he shouted as he rolled the two dice, ignoring the results to point his monster forward, "And the God attacks! An Iron Golem is no match against a Diamond Blade," Otogi continued, the monster's blade cutting clean through Yugi's large spherical golem. Gh... The boy winced as the first of his three monsters bit the dust, before grabbing his three dice from the table. One down, two remaining...

 

Not good. "My turn," he shouted, tossing the dice forward. Even if he couldn't summon, his monsters still had enough power. He watched as a battle crest appeared from his results, before pointing his monster forward. "Little Wizard attacks," he announced, the monster charging forward with its staff held high. "Lightning Rod!"

 

"Heh! Think again," Otogi said with a smirk, the attack merely bouncing off his monster's hide. Gh-! "By using the defense crests I have in my pool, I can defend against magical attacks!" What! What did this monster _not_ have! "And on my turn," the teen added, his monster suddenly swinging the sword forward as the wizard before it paled, "I get to strike back! The little Wizard dies," he said loudly, Yugi swallowing as he was left with one monster on the field. "And in one more turn," Otogi continued, narrowing his eyes, "Your last monster is next..." No.

 

The boy's eyes flashed over the board, head shaking somewhat. No... He couldn't summon, he couldn't defend...

 

And once his last monster was gone... "How do you like that?" the clown rasped from the side, Yugi bowing his head to stare at the table as he shook. "Do you realize now... How slim a chance you have against Ryuji?" No... No...

 

He wouldn't see him again...

 

No...

 

"The Millennium Puzzle is mine Yugi," Otogi was saying across the board. "No hard feelings I hope..." No no no _no no-_

 

"Hnhnhnhnhn..." Hang on... That sound? "Haha _hahaha_!" Yugi tensed, eyes flying open as laughter came through the air. That sound... That sound was- "Too bad Otogi," a familiar, cold tone said through his friend's voice, confidence ringing through the pitch at a level that the owner's lighter half had never come even close to achieving. Oh god... The voice continued, Yugi slowly turning around to look at the albino. "You can't _handle_ the puzzle."

 

The others in the room stared, eyes growing wide as Bakura stood in the open doorway at the end of the room. "Who..." Otogi's father stared, shaking his head as his son frowned. "Who are..."

 

"Hnhnhnhnhn..." Bakura. Bakura was... "In the thousands of years that this puzzle has existed," he stated calmly, slowly walking into the room, "Only one person has been able to solve and wield this device. And that person is none other than Yugi..." It was him. But... _How_? As the teen walked into the room he could see the golden ring around his neck, the prongs dangling as he moved steadily forward with a confident air. How... Why...

 

"B... Bakura!"

 

"Bakura?" Otogi whispered, staring with wide eyes as he looked at the teen. He shook his head, still frowning. "But... You're..." Completely different? H-Hah... Y-Yeah...

 

There was a good reason for that! "Hn! I can't believe that someone of your level would actually believe himself worthy of solving this puzzle," Bakura said with a nasty smirk, shaking his head as he came up beside Yugi at the table. The albino narrowed his eyes, looking directly at Otogi as the teen continued to stare. "If I were you," Bakura continued with a wicked smirk, "I wouldn't even try it... And if you _do_ , trust me when I say... You'll die _quite_ horribly."

 

"You..." He was right... Here... Right... _Here_... "What are _you_ doing here?" Yugi whispered with wide eyes, pulling back in his seat as he looked at the albino. "...Bakura?"

 

"Oh... Don't worry," Bakura said with a short 'laugh', hands in his pockets as he stood beside the boy. "I'm not the same as before... I've turned over a 'new leaf', didn't you know?" Why should he even begin to believe that? After the last time they'd seen each other, why... "The point is, right now," Bakura continued, grinning with all the honesty of a snake, "I'm your friend. Now then..." He looked over the board, Yugi still staring with wide and terror filled eyes as the teen appeared to pay him no mind. "Let's take a look here... Hnn... Well," the albino stated, pulling back, "The odds are a bit against you but... That doesn't mean you've lost just yet. Otogi," he called out, Yugi merely staring at the albino with wide and wary eyes. "Listen well and listen good... In only a few more turns, Yugi will turn the tables on you. So take a good long look at the power of the Millennium Puzzle's host!" Not good...

 

Yugi swallowed, still looking back up at the teen beside him. He couldn't exactly focus on the game right now with this right here. The ring... Bakura...

 

How could he put the ring back on!

 

"Gh..."

 

"Hnhnhnhnhn... You look as though I'm going to kill you right here," Bakura said with a smirk, eyes narrowing somewhat. Would that really be surprising? "Really, how cruel... Just think," he continued, crossing his arms. "Think about what Pegasus told you at the Duelist Kingdom..." The Duelist Kingdom? The boy tensed, eyes wide. How...

 

But how did he know about what Pegasus said, he wasn't even there at the time...

 

"The seven millennium items are all tied to the memory of the Pharaoh... We all have the same goals in the end," Bakura explained, ignoring his 'friend's discomfort, "And without the other pieces, that goal can never be achieved... So really," he continued with a smirk, "Is there any reason for us to fight right now? Back then, you were just another person who could possibly harm my host... But right now?" The smirk darkened, Yugi narrowing his eyes in response before turning away. This...

 

This wasn't the time. Not the time. Whether or not Bakura was the enemy, he had to figure out how to win this game first. To get the puzzle back, to put it back together... To save his other self. The boy's eyes flew across the board, a frown on his face. He only had one monster left... But there was no way to counter attack, no way. Bakura said there was a solution but...

 

"Hahahahaha... No _way_..." Somewhere, anywhere... "There's no way you can turn this around!" Otogi said with a laugh, shaking his head. "Even Yugi won't be able to do something like that, trust me... But Bakura," he continued, shaking his head as he narrowed his eyes. "...An interesting change you've gone through here. You're normally calm, quiet... Polite. I'd have hardly guessed that you were interested in things like the Millennium Items... I guess I was wrong," he added with somewhat narrowed eyes, looking over the ring for a moment. "But I have to say... I think you're wrong about the puzzle. I _will_ win," the teen said with a frown, spinning his two dice again as he looked at his opponent and friend. "And I _will_ repair the Millennium Puzzle."

 

Bakura merely looked across the table, chuckling darkly as he stared Otogi down. "Hnhnhnhnhn... A person like you? With a soul as weak as yours," the teen said with a dark laugh, "You'll burn from the inside out the moment you touch it... Don't say I didn't warn you," he continued, grinning maliciously as he stowed his hands in his pockets. "Though it'll certainly be amusing to watch..." H-Hahhhhh...

 

That was the last thing he needed right now! "Hn!" Otogi snorted, shaking his head. "Keep talking... I can't hear you," he said with a smirk, before gripping his dice and looking across the field. "It's your turn Yugi!" Otogi shouted loudly, spinning the two dice in his hands. "Now roll the dice!" Gn... The boy nodded, gripping the dice tightly. Alright. He had to at least go on until the very end didn't he? If he gave up now...

 

Well he couldn't! Alright then. "Roll!" The dice clattered to the ground, a pair of battle crests coming into view as they came to a stop. Alright... He now had six battle crests in his pool. Now how to attack the God Orgoth? Orgoth's attack was 2000. Not a match for Duker's... Then again...

 

Duker's ability was to attack multiple times for each attack crest. If he used the crests in his pool... If he used all of them at once, the attacks would add up, coming to just enough to beat it... "Alright," he decided, running over the points in his mind, "I activate all of the attack crests in my pool," Yugi shouted, sending his monster forward. "Go, Duker Twin Swords... Attack the God Orgoth!"

 

Light filled the field, only for Otogi to grin. Uh-oh. "Hehehe... I activate the last of my 'move' crests," he shouted, "Sending my dragon forward!" What! Otogi's dragon lept into the blade's path, taking the brunt of all the attacks as the turn ended. In an instant the flurry of attacks reduced it to dust, Orgoth left unharmed. Oh no.

 

Oh _no_...

 

"Hahahahhh... The low level dragon is gone, leaving Orgoth to stand and fight for the next turn! Too bad Yugi," he said with a dark grin, gripping his dice as he looked over his opponent. "Your roll was pointless. And now, it's my turn!" Ungh! "Now..." Damn... "Orgoth attacks," Otogi shouted, the monster swinging his blade forward. Destroying Duker Twin Swords!" No...

 

The monster swung his blade forward, cutting through the swordsman in a flash. Yugi stared with wide eyes as the field was cleared, leaving his Dungeon Master defenseless at last in the face of 'Orgoth'. No monsters. He had no more monsters...

 

He'd good as lost... "Yugi," Otogi said seriously from his side of the field, the boy looking up in silence. "You still have two more heart points left... We're going through with this this to the very end," he continued, smirking almost menacingly. "So don't even think of bowing out just yet. It's your turn..."

 

Hngg... He grabbed his dice, nodding. There had to be something he could do right? The boy tossed the dice to the ground, only to wince as he was met with an assortment of crests to join his 'pool'. No way to counter attack... No way to summon. But he had an advance crest! The boy looked at his dungeon master, staring at the base. Looking at it now... It looked like it could move at least.

 

He mentally nodded to himself again, hurriedly moving the Dungeon Master as far as his turn allowed. Otogi's turn again.

 

He could do nothing but run. "It's useless," the teen said clearly, a wicked grin on his face as he looked toward his opponent. "No matter how far you run, you're still within my monster's range! My turn again," he shouted, tossing his dice up into the air and catching them again. There was no point in rolling any more... "God Orgoth attacks the Dungeon Master!" Gh...

 

Yugi watched as the monster's blade swung against the back of his dungeon master, the second of his 'hearts' going out as he bit his lip. One more turn. One turn and he'd lose...

 

"Face it," a rasping voice on the side said, the clown that was Otogi's father grabbing the puzzle and pieces in his hands. "You've lost boy... And Ryuji," he said with a hoarse laugh, placing the golden puzzle beside his son with a nod. "I knew... I knew you could do it... Only my son could ever do such a thing after all..."

 

The teen blinked, turning to the man and looking over the puzzle for a moment. "Dad," he said quietly, the pieces spilling beside him.

 

"Look," the old man rasped, handing one of the pieces to the teen and folding Otogi's fingers over it. "It's yours now, you've won... You've made me proud, my son... Go ahead," he continued, his son in question staring at the puzzle with a momentarily unreadable expression, "Solve it..."

 

But it wasn't his. It wasn't...

 

Yugi stared at the table, not watching as the sound of pieces clicking over and around each other came through the air. "Hnhnhnhnhn... How many times must I say it," Bakura said with a laugh from beside him. "The puzzle can't be solved by the likes of you!" he said with a shout, shaking his head. "Only Yugi can solve it!"

 

"And as I told you," Otogi said in response, only briefly looking back from the puzzle as he began to attempt at putting it together, "Keep talking... I can't hear you!"

 

"Haaaaahhh... Such morons my host associates with..." Gh... They weren't... "I'll say it again," Bakura continued, still smirking as he leaned over the table somewhat. "The winner of this game is Yugi- And not you! You can't solve this _puzzle_ ," he stated clearly, Yugi still looking over his dice and the board as the cracking noises continued through the air. "So don't even try..." Puzzle...

 

The boy stared at the blank space between the path pieces, eyes somewhat dim. Puzz...

 

Le... "Ah..." His eyes widened, mind hurriedly running over the many patterns of a six-sided die. On the board, that one place between Otogi's and his own pieces... Maybe...

 

_Maybe_... There was still a chance, if he just summoned..!

 

"Dice roll!" he shouted, pulling the attention of his opponent forward and tossing the dice to the ground. The boy's eyes watched carefully as they fell, fingers mentally crossed. Come on...

 

Pentacle...

 

Star...

 

... _Yes_!

 

His opponent looked up from the Millennium Puzzle, frowning as the two summoning crests met the air. "Two summoning crests... But even with that," he said with a frown, "You still can't summon anything! That space is too narrow, and too complex for you to find the exact one that fits..." That was what he said...

 

But there was _one_ , wasn't there? Yugi grabbed his die, silently nodding to himself as he set it in place. This was the one. He ignored his opponent's confusion, instead staring at the board.

 

Lets go.

 

"Dimension Dice!" he shouted, pushing it into place. "Go!" The sides of the box slowly unfolded from the square he'd set it in, filling in the hole in the field. One side... Two... Three...

 

Four...

 

"Yes!" Otogi paled, staring at the field with wide eyes as a tiny, shell-like monster appeared from the perfectly unfolded net.

 

"But how... There was only one..." Only one monster? Phew...

 

"As I said," Bakura said with a smirk, crossing his arms. "The winner of this match is Yugi... And no one else." Hah... Alright! The boy gave a sigh or relief, staring at the board. He'd managed to summon a monster...

 

But would it even be able to take the attack? "...Gh... Haha _hahha_! Oh..." That didn't sound good. Yugi frowned, looking across the field as Otogi laughed. "To think, you managed to summon a monster... But how could you even think of pitting something with no attack power against Orgoth?" N-No attack...? The boy paled, listening as Otogi continued before looking over the info on the screen. "A monster like that..." He continued to laugh, still shaking his head. "It doesn't even stand a chance against the God Orgoth!” Oh no...

 

Attack _zero_! Of course that wouldn't stand against it, it wouldn't stand against anything! Damn it...

 

The boy clenched his fists, bowing his head again as he shut his eyes. What now? He'd used his last shot and now... What would he say? What would he say now? "Yugi!" Bakura roared, the boy jumping to look to the side. Er... He...

 

That didn't mean he'd take _anyone_!

 

"Stop thinking about 'losing' and focus on the match!" he spat, narrowing his eyes as the boy swallowed. "This is your test... A final challenge to prove your worth as the owner of the Millennium Puzzle, to prove his right as the King!" The... The king?

 

"...What King..?" He'd heard about a King but... _the_ King? What was Bakura talking about...

 

The albino merely continued to glare, eyes narrowed into slits. "Listen up," Bakura continued, looking down at the boy. "There's one person and only one who can solve that puzzle in this world, and that person is you; that person is chosen by the gods themselves to recover the lost memories of the King... And no matter what," he added darkly, turning his attention back to the board, "I _will_ make sure that happens..." B...Bakura...

 

"Hahahaha... Really..." Yugi turned, swallowing as he looked to the other side of the room. "So much talking," Otogi's father rasped, shaking his head. "It's so obvious who the winner of this game is already," he asked, eyes narrowed. "Why do you both keep fighting against it? Why..."

 

"Not now Dad," Otogi muttered, eyes trained on his opponent. The old man tensed somewhat, before doing as told and watching. "Yugi!" the teen called out. "Your turn is over... So now it's mine! I roll," he continued with a shout, tossing his two dice to the ground. "And now... I attack!" The puzzle was sitting across from him...

 

In pieces...

 

Yugi swallowed, narrowing his eyes as he pushed a button along the screen. He had to risk whatever ability 'Puzz' had. Whatever it was wasn't too clear, the description made almost _no_ sense but...

 

No matter what, he would win this game! Bakura... He was right. Probably not the best person to rely on for advice but he was still right! He couldn't sit and pray for someone to give him advice. This was his game... His fight! And for his 'other', he would continue on!

 

"Puzz's special ability activates," Yugi shouted, information flashing on the screen before him as Orgoth's blade came toward his Dungeon Master. This ability... Yes! "He transforms into an armor for the Dungeon Master!"

 

"That's great," Otogi shouted smirking as he sat back in his seat, "But Orgoth's already made his attack! You've-" He froze, swallowing as the holographic blade met nothing but a large shield formed by the small monster summoned from before. Heh... "Gh- What..."

 

Just in time.

 

Yugi narrowed his eyes, gripping his dice tightly. "Otogi-kun... You said that I couldn't run, didn't you? Well from now on," he said clearly, steeling himself as he looked over the rest of the now clarified ability. "My Dungeon Master isn't running... Instead, he turns to fight!"

 

"H...Heh... But 'Puzz' is a monster without attack power," Otogi reminded the boy, smirking somewhat. "So how can you even hope to fight against Orgoth?"

 

He nodded slowly, frowning. "True," he began, "Puzz' attack power is only zero... But that's because he's taken the form of armor! When he turns into a weapon," he continued, narrowing his eyes, "He'll be more than enough to defeat Orgoth..." The info on the screen wasn't lying after all. When 'Puzz' took 'blade' form...

 

Otogi narrowed his eyes, gritting his teeth. He thought he had missed the ability... But he hadn't. "Transforming Puzz requires at least three attack crests though," he continued, frowning. "You only have one left in your pool..."

 

That was right. Which meant he would have to just put all his trust in this next roll, wouldn't he! "My turn," Yugi shouted, tossing the dice to the ground. "Go!" Star... Swords... "Yes!" he shouted loudly as the final dice landed, grinning. "Two attack crests! Puzz's special ability activates!" he called out, the shield before his monster shifting to move into the dungeon master's 'hands'. "Transform... And attack God Orgoth!"

 

"Gh..!" The blade formed in an instant, striking toward Orgoth and rendering the beast nothing but air within seconds. "...You..!"

 

"Hah... I did it..." Otogi stared at the board, jaw clenched as his opponent continued to sigh in relief. No dice left to roll, and no monsters to move- the dice 'master' had lost by default. "Hah!" He'd won...

 

He'd...

 

Phew... Otogi's father gave a wailing cry, shaking his head as his son continued to stare at the board in shock. He... Hah... Ah... "...Otogi-kun," he said calmly, looking across the board at the teen. Something needed to be said. Just to fix things... "...I've never thought of owning the puzzle as owning a title, or some form of ancient power," he stated, the teen looking across with a frown. Never. He needed to know that...

 

"...But then why?" Otogi said with a frown, shaking his head as he looked back at the boy. "What drove you to win so badly?" What drove him? Hah...

 

"...I just... Wanted to see him again," the boy said calmly, bowing his head somewhat as he smiled. "I just wanted to see the other me... That's all. Otogi-kun," he continued, standing from his seat and moving past Bakura as the teen stepped back. "I won... Now give my puzzle back, alright?"

 

Otogi blinked, slowly looking away from the board and nodding as he put the put the pieces he'd been holding back on the table. ...Strange... He looked tired out, weakened... In fact, one of his hands were even shaking. Yugi stared, a worried expression coming over him. But why...

 

All he'd been doing was touching the puzzle...

 

"Alright," Otogi said with a nod, swallowing as he pulled his friend's attention back. "You win..."

 

"Hn! Those words probably saved your sorry little soul," Bakura said with a smirk, walking over and grabbing the puzzle by the chain. Yugi blinked, staring as the albino gathered up the pieces in his hands as well. "Here Yugi," he said with a 'smile', looking back at the boy. "How about you just sit tight and relax... After a battle like that," he continued, gathering the pieces and turning to the boy to hold them out for him, "I imagine you'd be exhausted..." Hah... A little, yes. But...

 

He watched as Bakura came over, carefully placing the puzzle and its fallen pieces in his open hands. This was all a little... Weird. Um... "...Bakura," Otogi muttered from the side, frowning as Yugi turned to look at him. "Who are you really..." Who...

 

Good question. But if Bakura heard them he wasn't answering, the teen merely crossing his arms and looking at Yugi. "Alright," the albino said, ignoring Otogi's words as Yugi looked up. "Now... Your next task is to put this thing back together... Your 'other self' deserves just as much doesn't he?" Yes...

 

Yes he did. The boy looked over the pieces, nodding. "It took a long time to put this together, the first time around," he said quietly, shaking his head as he thought back. "Eight years... Even so," he continued, nodding again and looking back up, "I'll hurry back home and finish it!" It was strange...

 

Even though it was the same 'Bakura' who tried to lock himself and the others in figurines for eternity, and in the end, kill them completely... It was because of him that he'd won that fight. He'd have given up otherwise, so... Perhaps...

 

This 'other Bakura' wasn't so bad...

 

"Ah!" The boy turned, blinking as Bakura handed another piece of the puzzle over. Oh... "Careful now," he said with a small 'smile', "You dropped one!" D-Dropped one!

 

"A-A-Ahh!" The boy took the piece with wide eyes, nodding furiously as he added it to the small pile in the puzzle's 'shell'. "Th-Thanks, Bakura-kun," he said with a nervous laugh, swallowing. "If even one piece was missing..."

 

The albino smirked, shaking his head. "Hn! You're welcome... Now then... My business is through," he said as he cracked his neck, walking toward the door and stretching. "I would think my dear host can find his way out of this one...” Er...

 

What? There was a 'breeze' of sorts, the hair that stood on end suddenly dropping as Bakura's expression changed. For a brief moment, the others in the room merely stared in silence, watching as the teen suddenly looked around with wide eyes. "A-Ahh..? This is..." Oh dear...

 

The boy shook his head, sighing as Bakura continued to look around in confusion. He'd forgotten completely... "...Yugi," Otogi said from the side, the boy swallowing as he looked at the teen. Hn... Last of the loose ends. But what were Otogi's feelings on all of this anyways? Between the time earlier, the game, the time at school... "...Even though I lost," he said calmly, still sitting at his seat as he looked at his friend, "I don't regret having this game with you! However..." He looked off to the side, where his father was staring at the ground in silence. "Hah... ...Dad," the teen continued, turning away and shaking his head. "I couldn't get revenge for you. I'll never... Be able to get revenge for you," he added, closing his eyes. "Because the fact is... I can't even try to hate Yugi. And I'd much rather have a friend in him than constantly pretend to think otherwise." O...

 

Otogi...

 

"I know," the old man rasped, shuffling his feet as Yugi turned to look at him. "I know... It's my fault," he moaned, shaking his head as the three in the room listened. "All my fault... From the very start," he continued, "I should never have asked this of you!" Yugi swallowed, gripping the loose pieces of his puzzle tightly as he stood on the side. Something did not seem right about this... Not...

 

Not at all... "...Dad..." Otogi sighed, turning back to the old man with a weak and somewhat morose expression. "If we continue to carry this kind of hatred... There's no way we can ever win in any kind of battle," he stated, frowning. "This is no way to live! You have to see that!"

 

"Hnnn..." Silence filled the air for a moment, the others merely watching with frowns. "...Yugi," the old man muttered, stepping closer as he ignored his son. "I'm _so_ sorry I destroyed your puzzle..." Why didn't he believe him... "You must be... Greatly saddened about what I've done..." Don't come any closer please... Don't... "Please," he continued, coming even closer as the boy stepped back, "Let me make up for it... Help hang that precious puzzle around your neck," he stated lowly, snatching the puzzle from his grip. "

 

A-AH! H-" Get away!

 

"Forgive me for this..."

 

"G _HNK_!" The chain was thrown over his neck, twisted and pulled into a tight noose as the boy's hands instantly reached around his throat. "GHK!" Pieces of the puzzle fell to the ground, Yugi barely getting air as he looked at the clown in horror. "H-GH-!"

 

The others in the room instantly reacted, Otogi moving from his chair with wide eyes. "DAD!"

 

"Y-Yuugi-kun!" Bakura shouted, growing paler than he already was. Ah... Ahhh... Air... Air..!

 

"Better not move..." Air... He couldn't... "None of you had better move," the old man hissed, gripping the chain tightly as he gathered the fallen puzzle pieces from the floor to stow them in a pocket. He couldn't breathe...

 

Couldn't move...

 

_Air..!_ "Unless you want to break someone's neck at least... Hehahahaha! HA _HAHA_!" Otogi stood beside the table, eyes wide at the scene before him.

 

"Dad," he whispered, shaking his head. "What the hell are you doing, _stop this_! I already told you, this won't do anything-"

 

"SHUT UP!" The teen tensed, jerking back as his father dragged Yugi toward the wall. "You... I can't even call you my son anymore," the man spat, eyes narrowed as the two teens watched in shocked silence. "Allowing yourself to lose to this brat!" Please... Please let him go, please let him go...

 

He couldn't...

 

Ahhh... "Your purpose in life was to help me get revenge," he wailed miserably, his hostage struggling to breathe even slightly. "That's all it was! And you failed that!" Stop this... Stop this please, stop this... "Your life... It doesn't have a value anymore!" How...

 

How could he say that to his own... "Please... Dad!" Otogi begged, moving toward the two with wide and fear filled eyes. "Don't do this..! Don't pull yourself further into this hole," he begged, choking on his words in panic. "We've done enough..!"

 

"Ch! Keep your mouth shut," the old man roared, tugging roughly at the chain as Yugi wheezed for air. "I don't want any more from you..." How could he say those things... "I'll get revenge myself!" he continued, turning a mask on the side of the wall with a click.

 

"Gh _hh-hhhh_!" With a sudden swirl the scenery changed. From partial darkness and colourfully painted walls came complete blackness, the sound of clanking metal and chuckling meeting his ears. "Hhhh... Hhhhh..." Breathing... He couldn't...

 

He was still gripped tightly by the chain, he still couldn't breathe...

 

"Hhhhh...!"

 

"Now... We're going to proceed with a forbidden ritual..." Please, just let him go, please... "An ancient rite from over ten thousand years ago... While I'm getting ready," the man rasped, pulling Yugi close by the chain before throwing him to the side where the boy collapsed to the ground, "You'd better sit quietly, like a good boy!"

 

"Gh! Gah..." Air... Air... "Hhh _haaahh_... H _ahhh_..." He couldn't breathe... He couldn't...

 

Candle light filled the air, illuminating a large table where a stone disc sat. The rim was lined with cobras, clawed hands facing upward with two tiny 'figures' sitting at the side. As for the rest of the room...

 

Cheap wood and metal table, shelves of strange and foreign games lining the walls... Tapestries depicting monsters and enormous 'cities' if they could be called that, the 'eye of wdjat' above only the door behind them...

 

And above the others, a strange, six-pointed star...

 

"Gh... Hhh _haaahhh_..." Where was this... This place...

 

"Hehehehehe... Hehehe... Do you know what kind of wheel this is?" the clown rasped, placing the puzzle and puzzle pieces on the edge of the table as he spoke. No... But... "It's a cursed wheel..." He'd guessed... "Found off the shores of Ancient Egypt, dating back to further than even ten thousand years ago... No one even knows where it came from, how it's even in this kind of condition," he continued, the fire light flickering ominously against his masked face as he turned around. "But one thing is for certain... This cursed game will eat and eat at a person's life within the span of only an instant..." Ghh...

 

Don't do this...

 

"It might look like a simple matter of 'reaching the goal'," the old man continued, looking over the wheel as he grabbed a hammer and looped tent-peg from the ground, "But the further you proceed on the wheel," he explained with a dark laugh, "The more years of your life you place on the betting table... And whatever the number you're on when your opponent reaches the end... Is the number of years you'll age, lost forever..." Not this... He couldn't even believe his grandfather did this, please don't... "During that battle," he rasped, turning on Yugi with rage filled eyes as the boy weakly looked up, "During that night so long ago, I lost that bet... I'm barely at the prime of my life," he moaned, "And already I've aged a full sixty years more than I should have..." Yugi closed his eyes as the man turned to look at him, gripping the hammer tightly in his hands. Please...

 

Don't do this...

 

"Originally... I was going to have Ryuji gain the power of the puzzle and challenge Sugoroku with it... Then that old man would be cursed and my vengeance would come full circle!" he shouted, laughing menacingly. Don't do this, don't... "But that useless boy ruined my plans!" he wailed, the boy on the ground merely pulling himself up to a seat against the wall as he struggled to breathe. No...

 

This was... His puzzle...

 

His...

 

_Don't do this_...

 

The man came closer, snatching the few pieces that his victim still held on to and taking them with a laugh. "This puzzle... I'll put it together myself!" he said with a laugh, the mask's grin staring down with dark humor. "This puzzle... Is mine! _Mine_!" he roared, slamming the pieces on the table as he grabbed the peg once more. Please don't, don't... "No one can take it... No one will ever take it," he repeated, "So long as this peg," he shouted, slamming the hammer down onto it, "Is holding it in place!"

 

A loud 'thump' echoed through the air, Yugi shutting his eyes and reaching behind him for a grip on the wall.

 

"Hahahahhaha... Aha _hahahaha..._ " Don't... Don't...

 

Stop...

 

"I'll complete this Millennium Puzzle... Gain its power..." Don't...

 

Don't do this...

 

"And then use this game to put a curse on you!" he hissed, laughing insanely. "And then _you_ can experience the same pain I did... Hehe _heheheh..._ " No...

 

He struggled to his feet, eyes barely held open as he attempted to breathe. Shouts were coming from outside. The sound of clicking was coming from the table as the old man attempted to piece the puzzle together. This wasn't...

 

This couldn't...

 

" _Stop_ ," he rasped, choking on his breath as he took a step forward. "Stop that," he whispered, shaking his head as the old man continued to mutter on the table. Don't do this...

 

"You can just pipe down you little rat..." The clown paid him no mind, fingering the puzzle pieces with his back turned to the boy. "This sort of thing... This kind of puzzle is easy... Easy... Hehehehehe..."

 

Don't... "Don't... Don't make him angry," he continued, shaking his head as the old man suddenly froze. Something was happening... Something... "Don't anger him..."

 

"Ahhh..."

 

...What...

 

The clown continued holding the puzzle, still growing stiff. "Ah _hhhhh..!_ " What was he screaming about... "WUAAAAAAHHH! A _AAAHHH!_ "

 

Without warning the old man jumped back from the table, the Millennium Puzzle smashing against the table to break into still more pieces. Why was he...

 

"UAAA _AAAAHHH!_ " Candles toppled to the ground, easily sending the table cloth ablaze as he ran, stumbling to the floor and staring. "Ahhh... F-Fire!" he muttered, Yugi's eyes flying open as he watched the flames catch onto the rest of the cloth hangings in the room. "FIREEEEEE!" No...

 

Yugi stared, strength somehow returning to him as he stepped forward.

 

_Oh no!_

 

* * *

 

"Rouf! ROUF- _OUF! ROUF_!"

 

Outside of the Black Clown building the sun was just now heading downward on the horizon. It wasn't twilight yet. That wasn't for over an hour but it was, when added to the shade along the street, still growing dark to say the least.

 

Though as to what was bugging the dog and any other animal on the block, who knew. "Hey, calm down," Honda whispered, stroking his dog's neck and head as she continued to bark. Strange how that only happened when they turned the corner... "Quiet Blankey, come on! You'll get us in trouble!" The dog continued to growl, tugging at the leash as they looked across the street at the 'Black Clown'. The doors at the moment were 'flapping' on their hinges, slowly closing over from recent use.

 

But something was off...

 

"Man... Am I seeing things?" he muttered, shaking his head as he looked at the building, continuing on his walk. "I could have sworn I saw Bakura..."

 

"Oii, Honda!" The teen turned, blinking as Katsuya and the others moved from the Kame Game behind him. Anzu, Mokuba, Sugoroku...

 

"Oh... You guys! Wait..." He frowned, looking back at the store across the road as the dog began growling at his friend. "Weren't you all going in there..?"

 

"Grr _rrrrrr..._ "

 

"H-Heyyy," Katsuya muttered, laughing nervously, "Down girl... Easy there!"

 

Mokuba shook his head, ignoring Katsuya as he edged back from the now barking and jumping dog Honda had on his leash. "Nope... The store closed early," he continued, frowning somewhat. "They ran out of their major stock over an hour ago..."

 

"R _OUF! ROU-ROU-ROUF!_ " AHH _HHHH_!

 

"O-OI!" The blond turned to the others, eyes wide as he continued to edge away from the dog. "Do something about your dog!"

 

"RO _UUUF! ROUF_!"

 

Honda merely stared at Mokuba, blinking a few times as he continued the conversation. "Closed?" he repeated, before pulling at the leash. Oh, so he had noticed... "Hey! Blankey!" he said with a frown, the dog pulling against the leash. "What did I tell you about that?"

 

The dog whined, shaking herself before taking a seat and glaring at Katsuya. " _Hrnnnnn_..." Huh.

 

Yeah, yeah, go and whine, no one cared... "Man..." Honda shook his head, before looking back at the store and frowning. "Still... You guys sure it's closed?" he asked, looking back to the others. "I mean, I just saw Bakura go in there. Least I thought it was him..." Huh, that was we-

 

...What... Wait, what?

 

Katsuya frowned, shaking his head and blinking a few times. "Wait... He went into th' store?" That couldn't be right... Right? "Are you sure Honda?" he asked, still frowning. "He said he was goin' home..."

 

The teen merely shrugged, shaking his head as he wrapped the leash around his wrist to hold his dog back in place. "Well... That's where I saw him... ...Not a lot of people with white hair around so..." Oooookay...

 

That didn't sound too good.

 

"Hey, where's Yugi by the way?" he asked with a frown, looking over them. "Wasn't he with you guys?" Not to mention the fact that this was his house...

 

Sugoroku gave a shrug, the others merely shaking their heads. Quarter after three. He and Mokuba had fifteen minutes before they had to leave. "We haven't seen him for over two hours now," the old man muttered, frowning.

 

Which was not a great sign. "We're starting to get worried," Anzu added, biting her lip and looking over at the door. "The guards pulled him aside saying he'd left something behind but... They also said he _left_ already!"

 

"Which is complete _bullshit_ ," Mokuba added, crossing his arms with a huff as the others raised their eyebrows somewhat. "We were watching that store since we left," he continued with a frown, "And the only people who came out were security guards finishing their shift!”

 

Katsuya bit his lip, looking over the building as it again flashed black. Mostly black he corrected mentally, narrowing his eyes. It wasn't completely dark, just a few shades off... "This ain't good," he muttered, shaking his head as the 'flash' ended. "First Yugi, now Bakura..."

 

"Hnnnn... Something bad is happening," Sugoroku muttered, shaking his head. He quickly paled, eyes widening for some reason as he turned to the store behind him. "...I need to go make a phone call," he continued hurriedly, rushing into the store. "Get some help..."

 

Yeah, they probably should have done that a while ago! "'Something bad' doesn't even cover it," Honda muttered, swallowing as they turned toward the crosswalk. The others blinked, frowning at the words. What did he mean by that? They watched as the teen tied his dog's leash around the store sign post, giving one last pat to the mutt before looking back to the others. "Listen... Something I need to admit," he began somewhat nervously, "But back at the Duelist Kingdom... I saw Bakura holding the Millennium Ring again."

 

"At... At the Kingdom?!" Mokuba asked incredulously, swallowing as they stood there. Forget the kingdom, the _ring_!

 

"What..." That was a full four months ago! If the ring was on then, what _was_ to say nothing weird was already in the works?! Katsuya shook himself, quickly gaining a scowl. "Why th' hell didn't you say anything!"

 

Honda narrowed his eyes, shaking his head as he was met with glares while they walked. "Look! I don't _know_ why I didn't say anything, alright? I just... I don't think I was all there, it was 2 AM, I'd been trying to get Mokuba..." The boy blinked at that, before Honda again shook his head and continued. "All I know is that he showed up from nowhere and busted me out of a dungeon cell before helping me get to you. I... I kept an eye on him," he added somewhat weakly, shaking his head, "But since nothing else happened... Well..."

 

The others continued to frown, Mokuba shifting awkwardly as they made their way toward the Black Clown. "Well... We can deal with all that later," Katsuya muttered, running down the sidewalk. "For now we need to see what's going on in there!"

 

"Right," Honda said with a nod, the group charging toward the store with swallows. "Let's go then!"

 

"You said Bakura just walked in right?" Mokuba asked, running ahead to the doors and swallowing as they moved in on themselves.

 

"...Err..." The others traded nervous glances, slowly walking in and staring.

 

"...Yeah," Honda muttered, looking at the pair of motionless bodies on the ground of the store. "Yeah that's right..."

 

"Shit..." Katsuya rushed forward, Mokuba doing the same. Ahhh shit, not this again. "Errr... They're breathin'," he said weakly, the doors swinging shut behind them and leaving them in a semi dark room,

 

"But..." Mokuba pulled back, coughing awkwardly as he grew pale. "Their eyes are open..." A sure sign of... Soul theft...

 

Anzu paled, hurriedly digging into her jacket pockets for her cell phone. "I'll call an ambulance," she muttered, flipping the phone open only for Katsuya to jump.

 

"Ah-"

 

"Don't bother," Honda muttered, shaking his heads as the guards abruptly groaned. "Looks like whatever happened just reversed..."

 

"Ahhhhghh," one of the guards muttered, "My head..."

 

"What happened..?" The others traded awkward glances, before looking forward as Mokuba gave a shout.

 

"Hey! Are you guys trying to find Yugi or not?" They blinked, before charging after the boy. "Wherever he is," he continued, "It's probably back here right?" Yeah, probably...

 

As it was, would likely be best to avoid the guards as they slowly regained consciousness. They moved for the door, Honda moving to grab the handle only to jerk back with a sudden shout."ACK!"

 

"'Ack'?" Anzu repeated with a frown, the others looking back at the door to pale. Something was slowly coming through the cracks...

 

Rising to the ceilings...

 

"...Oh god," she muttered, ignoring the muffled sounds of the two guards behind them. "Smoke..."

 

_-BRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEE- BREEP BREEP BREEP BREEP BREEP BREEP BREE_

 

And that would be the fire alarm.

 

Honda swallowed, before again grabbing the door and wincing as he pulled the door open. "Gh... Gah!" Instantly a wash of heat struck them, the smoke pouring out of the room along the ceiling. Smoke.

 

Fire.

 

Down the hall. "Oh _FUCK!_ " he shouted, running intp the hall with the others behind them. "Fuck!"

 

"Gh... Kah... Ah..." Coughing. They skidded to a stop as Bakura and Otogi both made their way down the hall, the albino looking up with wide eyes as he coughed. "H-Hah... All of you..." They stared, watching as the teen looked at them with relief. Smoke was literally pouring from the room they'd come out of, running along the ceilings, the tops of the walls... "...All of you came..."

 

He continued to pull Otogi forward, eyes filled with relief. Yeah... Yeah they came... But at the same time, way to prove Honda right at the _worst_ damn moment.

 

"B...Bakura!" Anzu and Mokuba swallowed, before running forward to grab Otogi from Bakura and help him forward. "We'll take him outside Bakura," the woman said, Bakura nodding and standing up as he was relieved of the weight. "You just get out of here alright?" she continued, eyes drifting over where the Millennium ring would be sitting if it was 'there'. Nothing...

 

Nothing was there, not even a 'lump' where it would show beneath the shirt.

 

"Y-Yugi..." The group paled, looking as Otogi began to cough in an attempt to speak. "He's still in there... The door won't open," he continued, looking up with weak green eyes. Door... The door wouldn't?

 

Where the hell was he then? If he was in that room then...

 

"Please," he begged, shaking his head and giving another cough. "Please you have to... Hah.."

 

Katsuya turned, swallowing as he looked at Otogi with wide eyes. "Where's Yugi?" he asked, swallowing. "Where is he!"

 

Otogi shook his head, giving another cough. Their only answer was a weak look back to where Bakura had just come from. He wouldn't say anything but...

 

The 'Game' room.

 

The source of the smoke.

 

_Damn_. "...Bakura!" Honda shouted, still staring down the hall, "You go with Mokuba and Anzu." He turned back, looking at the others as he continued before charging down toward the room. "Come on Jonouchi!" The blond nodded, Mokuba and Bakura both frowning in response as Anzu made off with Otogi.

 

"But Katsuya-nii," the boy protested, "You can barely see through the-"

 

"Just go!" he shouted, pulling his shirt up to his mouth as they ran through. Briefly he turned, giving another shout before disappearing into the smoke with Honda. "Call th' fire department and get outta here!"

 

The boy nodded furiously, turning to Bakura. "Got it! Come on Bakura!" he shouted, looking back at the teen as he made to join Anzu. "...Bakura!" he continued, only to watch as the albino as well disappeared through the smoke. "O-OI! B... BAKURA!"

 

* * *

 

"H-Help... Help! Somebody... Please help..!"

 

Otogi's father wailed as he weakly slammed his palms against the side of the wall, Yugi merely grabbing for his puzzle. He had to get it...

 

Gather all the pieces and get out of here...

 

"Ack!" He winced as the hot metal burnt his palms, pulling back only a moment. Hot... Hot...

 

He had to ignore that though he told himself, before attempting to pull it.

 

"G... Ghn..!" The boy's eyes widened as he looked over the chain, swallowing as he followed it along the table. No... No no no no _why_...

 

_WHY?_ "Aaaa _aaahhhh..!_ "

 

That was right, the hammer, the peg... Why did it have to be nailed into the table! If this went on...

 

The puzzle would end up melting into nothing in the fire's heat. It would never...

 

His other self would never... He tugged fruitlessly at the chain, looking fearfully at the fires around him. They had already spread to the tapestries, the bookshelves...

 

No...

 

No... "H-Help! HELP ME!" the clown at the side continued to wail, screaming as his clothes as well caught fire. Gh. This man... "I don't want to die!" he moaned, screaming loudly as the room was filled with smoke. "I don't want to die!" he continued with a whine, "Please!" Damn it...

 

The boy ran over, pulling the man away from the wall. "You're not going to die!" he shouted, frowning. "Roll on the ground," he continued, "You'll put the flames out!" Almost predictably the man did as told, the boy before him jumping back lest he be caught under the clown's weight as he attempted to smother the flames.

 

"Hah... Ahhh... I don't want to die, _I don't want to die..._ " He wasn't... Ahhhh... Really, this was just...

 

"You're not going to die! Look!" Yugi shouted, pulling the man up with difficulty, and frowning. "You're not on fire!"

 

"Ah...Ah..." The clown stared, swallowing as the boy continued.

 

"Listen," he said, pointing toward the somewhat flaming door that the smoke was escaping through, "You need to open this door, call someone to put this fire out!"

 

The clown shook his head, again swallowing. "I can't..."

 

...What...

 

"I... I can't that door... It won't open, I..." No...

 

No that wasn't... "What did you just say?" he said with a swallow, staring. That couldn't be right, how would they have gotten out if there was no fire?

 

"I... It doesn't open," he cried, shaking his head. "I always leave through the other door," the man continued with a moan. "But the other door is blocked by the curtains and the curtains are on fire... And I... I..." So then...

 

They were... Going to...

 

" _YUGI_!"

 

The boy turned, looking toward the door as smoke flew through the cracks. That voice... His eyes widened, breath caught in his throat. That voice..!

 

"YUGI WHERE ARE YOU!"

 

"YUGI!" And him too! "HANG IN THERE!"

 

"Ha-Hah... J- _JONOUCHI-KUN!_ " he called out, looking toward the door with wide eyes. They were here, they were... "HONDA-KUN! Gh-k! Kah! Kh! _Hah_..." Damn... "OVER HERE!" Smoke...

 

The room was full of smoke... It was getting hard to breathe...

 

"WE'RE COMIN' FOR YAH YUGI! " Jonouchi shouted, voice coming through the side of the wall. "HANG IN THERE! WE'RE COMIN'!" Guys...

 

They... Yugi turned, stepping away from the door as shouts came closer and thumps began to sound from the other side.

 

They came...

 

* * *

 

"YUGI!"

 

Katsuya coughed through the smoke, holding his shirt to his nose in a makeshift gas mask. Damn it... Where...

 

"Kuh-... Hah... _Hah..._ YUGIII!" Honda coughed beside him, narrowing his eyes as they came to the room and looked around. A thick haze sat over everything, creating an almost impenetrable curtain before them. This fire... It was as though it was being fueled by something other than the building, it had to be! This was a store, there should have been sprinklers, something...

 

"Shit," Honda muttered, arm in front of his face as he shook his head. "I can't see five centimetres past my face, how are we supposed to find the door?"

 

"This way!" The two turned, watching as Bakura ran past and turned to them. "The door that they're behind... It's hidden in the wall, I didn't think you'd find it in time otherwise..."

 

They stared, Honda swallowing a few times. "I told you to stay behind and help Anzu," he said lowly, the albino frowning in response. Obviously while one was aware of the ring...

 

The other was well aware of the suspicion surrounding it...

 

Though he had to say it was rare to see Bakura's confidence shine like this, he had to give him credit for that. As if to provide proof that it was 'their' Bakura, the response Honda received wasn't a bloodthirsty, shark's glare but more... A stern, and stone cold one.

 

"...And I thought it would be better for me to _help_ ," Bakura stated, turning back and squinting through the smoke. "Yugi is my friend too- I'm not just someone who sits on the side after all! Now... Over here!" he shouted, pointing toward a section of the wall that seemed to be spewing flames. "That's where they went through!"

 

Honda continued to frown, only for Katsuya to elbow him and charge forward. _'Later_ ' he 'said', moving forward. Bakura, or at least the 'good' one, was their friend.

 

And now was sure as hell not the time.

 

"YUGI!" he shouted loudly, coming to the door and running his hands along the side as he shouted. How the hell would they get in... "YUGI! WE'RE COMIN' FOR YAH!" he called through the door, a muffled answer coming from the other side.

 

"YUGI!" Honda added, throwing in his own shout. "HANG IN THERE!"

 

"J-Jonouchi-kun! ...Honda-kun!"

 

The three boys nodded, Katsuya cracking his knuckles as Honda looked back at Bakura. "Alright... How do we open this door?" he asked, coughing somewhat in the smoke.

 

Bakura shook his head, biting his lip. "There was a mask... Something... I don't-" He swallowed, shaking his head. "It's a trap door, but I was so caught off guard that I honestly missed how it worked, I'm sorry..!" Damn it...

 

"YUGI HANG IN THERE!" Katsuya called, gritting his teeth. "HANG IN THER ALRIGH'?" Honda and Bakura turned as the blond shouted, taking a few more steps from the door and turning to the others. "If there ain't a door knob, we make one got it?" He sent them a severe look, jerking his head toward the door. "C'mon!"

 

The two quickly nodded, standing beside the blond as he looked back at the door.

 

"JUS' GET OUTTA TH' WAY 'F TH' DOOR YUGI," Katsuya called holding back a cough in the smoke. Time to do this the old fashioned way... "YOU'LL BE OUTTA THERE SOON!" Now then.

 

Three...

 

Two...

 

One...

 

- _SLAM!-_ The three boys charged into the door frame, a loud and almost sickening crack coming through the air as wood splintered. Gh... Damn it... "

 

NOTHING!"

 

Honda shouted, stepping back from the door. "AGAIN!” Katsuya shouted, the three stepping back to ram into the door once more. "HR _AAAAAAAAH!_ " Go!

 

- _SLAM!-_

 

...Nothing.

 

Again!

 

_-SLAM!-_

 

...

 

_-SLA_

 

_**-CRACK** _

 

The door snapped off to the side with silent and mental shouts of relief from the three, the boys hurriedly running in as Yugi came forward with wide eyes and a look of relief. "J-Jonouchi-kun," he shouted, helping an old, mumbling man up from the side. Wait, who the he-

 

Was that the clown!?

 

"Honda-kun, Bakura-kun... You're all..."

 

The albino came forward, smiling. "Later," he said with a nod, holding his arms out in aid. "Later... First we need to get out of here!"

 

Yugi hurriedly nodded in response, helping the old man over to Bakura as Honda came over. "You need to get him out of here," he said slowly, looking at the man's somewhat charred clothes with worry. "He was on fire earlier... Kg! _Kah_..." Damn... This smoke was...

 

"Got it," Honda said clearly, both himself and Bakura hauling the old man on their shoulders. "Yugi," he continued with a nod, "This fire's getting out of hand, let's go!" Katsuya turned to the boy, frowning as Yugi stood there. He wasn't moving...

 

...Wait, where was...

 

"...Yugi!" he shouted, watching the boy turn back to the table in the middle in silence. The roar of flames and burning wood was almost drowning but he was just standing there, right in the thick of it, not even flinching... "...Yugi, what are you doing?"

 

A thundering crack came through the air as the bookcases on the side crumbled to the ground, Honda turning with wide eyes. "Yugi, we need to get out of here!" he shouted, "We can't stay any longer!" The boy continued to stand, shaking his head.

 

"I... I can't leave the puzzle here!" he shouted, turning back to them with tearing eyes. "I can't!" The puzzle?

 

Katsuya looked over at the table, staring at where the puzzle sat in pieces. "Shit..." It was one thing if it was intact but...

 

What the hell happened here?

 

"Honda," he said, turning to the teen. "You an' Bakura get that old man outta here alright?"

 

The two frowned, staring. "But what about-?"

 

"Just get outta here! GO!"

 

They nodded, hauling the old man out of the room as Honda turned back. "You... You better fucking survive this, both of you!" he shouted, eyes wide as the blond nodded. "Got it?" Katsuya nodded as the three vanished through the smoke, a steady frown in place as he turned back to Yugi. Of course.

 

Of course they would, of course... "...Yugi... We gotta gather these pieces," he said clearly, "Carry them out..." He rushed over, hissing as he attempted to grab the chain while Yugi winced and grabbed a number of pieces. "Ach..! ...What th' hell..."

 

The blond's eyes widened, Katsuya looking over the chain and watching as it led to the edge of the table. What-?

 

"Yugi, this... It's pinned to th' table!" he shouted, "We can't do this!"

 

The boy shook his head, sweat dripping off both of the two in layers as the flames ate away the walls around them. "No... No," he repeated, swallowing, "I'll just have to reassemble it here, I'm not leaving!"

 

No... No fucking way, no... "No... No no... You _MORON_! We can't stay in here!" he shouted, gesturing to the flames around them. Eight years... He said it took him _eight damn years_ to do this the last time, if he was going to put it together now! "If we don't get out of here now, we'll burn to death! We can't-"

 

"I'M NOT LEAVING HIM, JONOUCHI-KUN!" The blond tensed, freezing as his friend turned o him with tear filled and desperate eyes.

 

A-Ahh...

 

Ah... "I'm not leaving the other me! Not even considering it! If I leave here now," he choked, rasping for breath in the smoke filled room as his friend stared, "If I leave here, the puzzle won't even be recoverable... It'll never be there... It'll be gone... _He'll_ be gone..." Y-Yugi...

 

And the other Yugi too...

 

Damn it. "I'm begging you Jonouchi-kun... I'm begging you please... Please just let me put it back together..." He... He... "So I can at least see him one last time... Just one last time..." One last time. But at this rate...

 

The blond's expression shifted to that of rage, the teen pulling his friend close by the shirt. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN LAST? YUGI!" he shouted, tears no welling up in his own eyes as his friend gave no response. "If you die... Everything is over! Everything! You moron!" he continued, shaking his head as he let the boy down. "You can't... How can you solve it so quickly, we only have so long... Don't..." This fire was already getting out of hand as it was! "Don't do this..."

 

"I can't..." The boy shook his head, fingers working with the puzzle now that he was released, despite the already angry red burns the metal was scaring him with. Damn it... Why...

 

Why...

 

"I can't..." Why..?

 

...He knew why.

 

...No. No he couldn't leave him...

 

He guessed in the end _he_ couldn't either.

 

"...Alright," he said quietly, bowing his head in defeat as the sound of falling wood came from around them. "...Alrigh' Yugi, you win... But I ain't leavin'," he continued, the boy pausing momentarily to look at him with wide eyes. "An' if you even think about arguin'," he added with a weak smirk, shaking his head. "Well..." Eh... Not the time for threats. "Jus' don', alrigh'..?"

 

Yugi stared, swallowing before nodding and turning back to his puzzle to work. "Alright, Jonouchi-kun..." Alright...

 

Here's to life or death then... And silence.

 

* * *

 

Fires were literally eating at the table that the puzzle was nailed to and still Yugi pressed on, nothing but the sound of crackling flames and slowly burning wood surrounding them. That, and his footsteps as he attempted to find a clear path further into the room. He needed to find something. Something to get that damn peg out of the table...

 

But all around them were nothing but flames, so all he could to was stand there. Not a pole, not a rod... Nothing.

 

...But he wouldn't leave. Like hell he would leave! Yugi wouldn't die here, he'd make sure of it. Even if he needed to knock him out cold he'd get him out. Even if he never looked at him the same again...

 

The blond swallowed, eyes narrowed in worry as Yugi continued to work in front of him.

 

_Click... Click... Click..._

 

Piece by piece it was being put together, half of the puzzle already in place. But damn it...

 

Even if the puzzle was finished, he'd have to leave that guy here. The 'other' Yugi, left to melt and vanish and _die_. Katsuya bit his lip, flames continuing to eat away the building around them. And with a bond like theirs...

 

That kind of bond, that unbreakable connection...

 

What the hell was he supposed to _do_ damn it? What...

 

What did he do..?

 

_Click... Click... Click..._ A portion of the roof collapsed to the ground, Katsuya coming close behind the the boy. No time. They needed to leave...

 

Three pieces left...

 

Two...

 

Another portion fell, the blond's eyes wide as he looked at the wall of flames before the table. Damn it! No time! _No time_! "Hah... Y-Yugi!" the blond said with a shout, turning back to the boy. The last piece was in there... Now or never! "Yugi come on!" he shouted, grabbing his friend's shoulder while the boy slumped, "We need to get outta here, we-" He shook the boy's body, shaking his head as he looked at the unconscious form of his friend. Oh hell...

 

The smoke, the heat, the stress...

 

He didn't think something else would end up knocking him out damn it!

 

No... No... The puzzle was done, but they needed to leave! He grabbed him around the waist, pulling Yugi's free arm over his shoulder. "Come on," he muttered, pulling hard. "Come on, come on, come on!" They couldn't stay, they couldn't...

 

The sound of the chain clacking against the pin sounded through the air, Katsuya shouting with aggravation as he put the boy down and moved to the chain.

 

"DAMN IT!" This chain... This damn chain! He slumped to his knees, pulling at Yugi's hands and the chain both in an attempt to free one or the other. "Let go... Let go Yugi, let go... We're going to die damn it..!" How could he be holding so tightly when he wasn't conscious? How... How! "Let go... _LET GO_! Gh... Damn it... ... _Damn it_..."

 

He swallowed, eyes wet with tears despite the flames around them. Leaving one friend was already hard enough, the pain searing at him worse than the flames themselves. But two?

 

_Both of them.._? "What do I do," he finally whispered, shaking his head as it slumped against the burning table. " _What do I do_..?"

 

A wind passed behind the blond, and slowly he looked up. That wind...

 

The energy that filled the room...

 

The blond's eyes widened as he looked at the side of his friend, hands dropping the chain. He..

 

The 'other' Yugi, he was looking at him, from behind the 'original'. Almost desperate if he could call it that, or even angry. Eyes narrowed with some sort of emotion he couldn't identify, something that the spirit himself was likely having troubles with. That look...

 

... _It hurt_.

 

The blond shook his head, first only slightly, and then completely as the 'Other' Yugi stared in silence. "Don't look at me like that," he whispered, tears streaming down his face. "Damn it Yugi, don't look at me like that..." Please... _Please don't_...

 

The spirit's eyes widened, the 'other Yugi' staring in shock as the flames raged. ...Wait...

 

He heard...

 

" _Jonouchi..._ " He'd heard... " _How can you..._ " _HE_ heard..!

 

The two stared, before the spirit turned to look at the 'disk' like board on the ground. Now was not the time. But what it was time for was...

 

" _...Jonouchi_ ," he said plainly, turning back to the blond and then looking back at the disk. The table. No, the 'board'...

 

Katsuya pulled himself up, eyes growing wide as he followed the spirit's gaze. "...No way..." He climbed onto the table, ignoring the flaming cloth as he picked up the large stone disk. It wasn't attached. It wasn't... He looked back at 'Yugi' for a moment, steeling himself as he looked back at the peg. Clawed fingers spread out on the hand... And a looped peg. This would work...

 

This would work!

 

The claw was fixed into the hole with a grunt, the blond swallowing. "I told you," he muttered under his breath, looking back at the boy as the spirit of the puzzle vanished from sight. "We ain't dying here..." He jumped on the end of the disc, gritting his teeth as a loud crack came through the air. "WE _CAN'T_ DIE HERE!" The peg flew from the chain, table collapsing underneath the force of the jump while the stone disk itself crumbled into dust. This was all it took.

 

And now they were getting the hell out of here!

 

The blond grabbed Yugi from the ground, the puzzle still gripped tightly in the boy's hands. Still holding on. He was still holding on... The room collapsed behind him as he ran, holding his friend close and ducking beneath the flames and smoke. "Hang in there Yugi," he muttered quietly, watching as wood fell behind and before them, ducking under and jumping over the collapsing building around them. "Hang in there... Hang in there...” The door... "Yugi," Katsuya muttered, the front door in sight as he stumbled and walked past the still collapsing beams and furniture.

 

There, there it was...

 

"...Thank-you..."

 

_'No_ ,' the faint voice whispered, the outside of the building coming into sight as wood collapsed behind them. _'Thank_ _ **you**_ _...'_

 

Fire was roaring around them as he coughed, but suddenly cool air met his face as the blond stepped out. Alive.

 

The fires were eating at everything behind him, the path he'd taken was completely demolished and they were...

 

"JONOUCHI!" Honda shouted, rushing forward with Bakura and a few others behind him. Hah...

 

Katsuya walked forward, coughing somewhat as he held onto his friend. "YUGI!" Anzu, Sugoroku, Mokuba, hell even the dog... People from all over the road filled the streets as the group worriedly asked how they were, sounds barely making it through his ears. Paramedics were coming over... Sounds began to clear as the blond shook himself, looking down at Mokuba as the boy looked up.

 

"Katsuya-nii," Mokuba said with wide eyes, looking at the two ash-covered teens before him. "Katsuya-nii, is he... Is he..." He was alive...

 

It would be alright... "Heh... Guys," he muttered, the others staring as he gave a sad smile. "Look... He didn' let go," he continued, the others frowning somewhat. "Even in there, he put it all t'gether an' he didn' let go... He... He's alive... ...An' th' other Yugi..." The firelight glowed against the completed puzzle, the others silent. "Through all tha' fire... Their bond... It's..." His vision was swimming...

 

Maybe he shouldn't talk... Paramedics swarmed the two even as he continued speaking, a pair taking the boy away on a stretcher as Sugoroku followed after. "Come this way," one was saying, the blond watching as his friend was hurriedly strapped to a board and loaded into the flashing van, "We need to treat your burns..."

 

"Gh-" He shook his head, watching the ambulance doors shut for the vehicle to drive off, a number of fire-fighters taking its place. "I'm fine," he muttered, "Go look after Yugi..." More doctors was never a bad thing right? Wait, paramedic's were 'on site' only...

 

"Sir, we have your friend in an ambulance already, now please come with us-"

 

Well either way, he was fine! "An' I said I'm-"

 

"Katsuya-nii, GET IN THE AMBULANCE!" The blond turned as Mokuba scowled, before slowly nodding. "Now!" H-H _ihhh!_

 

Shit, worse than when they first met! "Alrigh', alrigh'," he said with a cough, shaking his head and turning around to follow the paramedic. Damn it, he hated hospitals, he wasn't even that burnt... Though he did hurt now that he thought about it. "I'm goi-"

 

The blond froze, staring upward as he looked over the burning building before them. That flash he saw earlier...

 

The clown statue going up in flames with a haunted and almost demonic smile...

 

The building collapsing in on itself, becoming nothing but ash...

 

The dark, smoke filled sky before it, which gave the illusion of nightfall...

 

"Sir..?" The paramedic turned, tapping the blond's shoulder. "Sir are you alright..?"

 

He'd seen all this before...

 

The others stared, also coming over with worried expressions. "Katsuya-nii?"

 

"Jonouchi?" Anzu asked somewhat hesitantly, the others as well putting in their two cents.

 

"Hey," Honda muttered, frowning. "You alright man?"

 

"Er... Jonouchi-kun..?"

 

"...Yeah," Katsuya said quietly, following off to the ambulance as his friends shrugged behind him. "...'M fine..." Just...

 

Fine...

 

Something was wrong. Something was definitely wrong but as weird as it was, he couldn't be bothered with thinking about it too hard as he was pulled off to be taken to the hospital. Because the fact was, they were all alive... All of them.

 

And that was all that mattered in the end, right?

 


End file.
